To Be The Greatest
by Wolf-of-Hope
Summary: (FINISHED 6-02) Disguised as a boy, twelve-year-old Alex dreams of becoming the greatest outlaw to ever walk on Gunsmoke. Rated for language and content.
1. Alex the Outlaw

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Trigun or its characters... though I wish I did...**

**((--cries of help from Knives in my basement--MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!--))**

**Anywhoo, read and enjoy...and review. Praise is greatly approved, criticism (helpful, not destructive) is allowed, for I see criticism as a way for me to become a greater writer, so I can raise my already superior intelligence even higher, so all you mere mortals may see and realize that I am YOUR TRUE MASTER!!! HAHAHAHA_--_ ((is whacked over the head by a bunch of angry anime characters)) Okay, okay, I'm sorry! cough**

**Here 'tis...the masterpiece of the Master that is supreme above thee mortals!**

**((gets a glare))**

**Oh, yeah, whenever I have dashes like this: ---, it means we're switching to a different character's point of view. Sometimes I'll put .:.begin.:. or .:.end.:. and sometimes I'll be lazy and just put the lines.**

**Got it? Good! Now read.**

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"I'm gonna be an outlaw, the greatest the world has ever known!"

Everyone in the saloon who had heard turned and looked for the source of the declaration, to find it coming back to three children sitting at the bar. The announcer was a youngster in a tan cowboy hat, a white sleeveless shirt under a tan coat, dusty blue jeans and black boots, black hair cut short and ruggedly at the base of the neck, a bandana wrapped around each wrist, one white and one blue, dark brown eyes sparkling with youthful determination.

"Ha! You won't even get to petty criminal status," one of the youth's friends said with a laugh, a pretty young girl in a lavender-colored cotton dress, her eyes a bright sky-blue, hair dusty blond under a white bandana.

"Gots more of a chance then you do," the third growled, a stocky brown-haired boy in dirty blue coveralls over a grey raggedy shirt.

"Yeah, Chris is right," the first youth said. "I do have more of a chance than you do, m'dear."

"That's only 'cause_--_" the girl began, then hesitated. She lowered her voice and leaned forward and said, "That's only 'cause you're disguised as a boy, Alex."

"So?" the tomboy girl Alex snapped back. "Hey, I'll get farther like this, y'know. I'll find me a gang, start out with them first, then when I get real good, I'll dump them and go for big shot status."

The stocky boy, Chris, grinned. "Sounds good. Make sure y'do somethin' big, like a murder or robbery or somethin'."

"Of course," Alex drawled, grinning back. "It'll be real big. Maybe even bigger than a murder or a robbery?"

"Bigger 'n' that? What could that be?" the girl, named Kara, asked, looking suspicious.

"I dunno, maybe I'll hijack a sandsteamer or wipe out a town or somethin'," she answered with a shrug, stretching back on the little stool, eyes alight with visions of greatness...well, greatness in the outlaw's style.

"So, how'ya gonna get outta this dump?" Chris asked, sipping his glass of lemonade the bartender had gotten them.

"Next steamer comes through tomorrow," Alex said. "I've been savin' up my money from pickpocketing, and I've decided I'll take this one to April City."

None of them needed to say anything about parents. The three of them were orphans, who lived in an abandoned building at the edge of this town, Warren, getting their food from the money the picked off of people in the markets. It was a hard life, but it had developed each of them into tough little rebels, as well as giving Alex ideas to become an outlaw. That had been her dream forever; from a statement made by an enraged Kara a few years before, about the sexism of this world, she had gotten the idea of a male disguise, and had worn it ever since. Now, at twelve years of age, she was ready to take off on her plans.

"So, when you become a great an' famous outlaw, you'll come back to mock us, right?" Chris asked with a twisted smile.

"Definitely. We're family, right?" she said, smiling back. "Besides, I'm the master of mockin' you guys; even with great status, I'll still need to drop to your lowness to keep my head from gettin' too big."

Kara smiled at Alex, and the tomboy noticed her friend's watery eyes. "Don't get shot, a'right, Al?" Kara asked.

"I won't, be sure of that. 'Sides, if I did, I know you'd get upset and find me in hell and kill me again, right?"

The girl smiled with a chuckle and wiped her eyes. The three friends finished their drinks, then headed out for the last night of being a trio and causing rebellious mayhem.

They stood at the edge of the city the next morning, as many others rushed past them heading to the sandsteamer waiting nearby. Chris pulled out a knife and made a gash in his palm, and Kara and Alex did likewise. The three put their hands in together, as their blood mingled and dripped upon the sand, causing little spouts of steam to rise up. Kara blinked away tears as they pulled back, and Alex hugged her, then took her arm. She grabbed the white bandana sticking from Kara's pocket and wiped up the blood of herself and the others in her palm with it, then folded it up neatly and handed it to Kara.

"Together forever," Alex whispered. She shouldered the small worn leather bag, filled with her small money and some food, that was her only true possession besides her clothing, and headed towards the sandsteamer. She made sure not to look back at the others until she was a good distance away, so they didn't notice her tears in her eyes. Standing by the sandsteamer, she looked back at them, and waved with the bloodied hand. She watched them wave back, heatwaves surrounding them like ghostly essences, and then she turned away, handing the ticket she had bought that morning for third class to the guard and climbing aboard.

"This is the last time I'll see my Warren again, and my only family," she whispered, and wiped her eyes. Then she smiled, and went to find her room.

**Ta-da! My first fic-chapter! Rate and review, please...  
Give me love, give me criticism, give me hate, just give me somethin' to sing about :)**

**-Wolf**


	2. Meeting Eamon

**My next chapter. Again, I shall announce I do not own Trigun characters...I shall sob now...**

**Chibi Knives: Humans and their emotions...tsk tsk...**

**Me: Aww, c'mon, my li'l buddy ol' pal! You're so cute!**

**Chibi Knives: I know...**

**READ AND REVIEW! I will give you treats!**

**Death to the masses****  
Who do not read my tale****  
I swear I won't get you in trouble****  
Or get you thrown in jail!**

**If you read this story, ****  
I promise I'll give you bread****  
And cookies and icecream too****  
Don't shoot me in the head...**

**Cough...arighty, then, folks! Here 'tis!  
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A few hours later, as she sat in the cramped and dirty space of her room, seeming to feel each little bump the steamer hit, she counted up her remaining money, and found she had $$9 double dollars with her. Enough to buy a meal in April City, and then she'd get to business searching for her gang.

She left the room and went up onto the deck of the steamer, gazing out at the desert and cliffs surrounding them, at the suns in the great blue sky. Her plan was pretty simple and clear: she'd get a gang, of course as a boy, and work up her status at that. Soon she'd be good enough by herself, and she'd ditch the gang and become her own outlaw. Alex knew she had to pick a name; all the great outlaws had outlaw-ish names. Her hero amongst the outlaws was one she had heard in the rumors and gossips of the town, of a man named Vash the Stampede, the Humanoid Typhoon, the first natural human disaster. He had put a crater in the moon, and destroyed entire cities, like July. He was her hero, and she hoped to be able to rival him someday.

Alex was a pretty good shot with a gun; nearly five years ago, Chris had stolen a pistol in the chaos of a small riot in Warren, and had given it to Alex. She had found bullets cheap in the markets, and after hearing from one of the gunslingers in a tavern about how to work a gun, she had started working on her shot. At first she was completely awful at it, but after hard, determined practice, she soon became better, and better, and better, until she could hit a glass cup on a post from thirty-five yards away.

That pistol was in her bag; she had tried as hard as she could to find a way to carry it, but it felt so clumsy and awkward whenever she kept it in her holster, she had just stopped and flung it resignedly into the bag. She'd take it out when she needed it; so far, nothing had come to that yet.

"Whatcha thinkin' about, lad?" a voice said next to her ear, making her jump. She whipped her head around to look at the man leaning against the rail next to her, and had a hard time speaking. He was extremely attractive, to say the least. His hair was spiky and dark brown, his eyes a deep, bright emerald. He wore a white mesh shirt and thick brown pants underneath a thin brown coat that was so long it touched the floor by his black knee-high boots. He had the body of a runner, tall, slim, agile, lithe, and muscular, with a masculinely pretty face, ovaline yet with high cheekbones, a square jaw covered in brown stubble, and a strong-boned nose that looked like it had been broken a few times. "What, cat got your tongue, eh?" he asked with a laugh.

"Uh, no," Alex answered quickly. She sounded enough like young boy she didn't need to change her voice, so she was able to talk normally, unlike Kara, who had tried dressing and acting like a boy once but couldn't get her high, feminine voice of a fourteen-year-old low enough to even be close to convincing. "Just thinking 'bout my friends in my hometown."

"Where y'headin'?" he asked, looking out across the landscape.

"To April City," she said, and was just about to add, _To find me a gang_, when she realized it might not be safe enough to say things like that. Instead she lied, "To get a job."

"Ain't you a bit young to be seekin' a job?" he asked, sounding amused. "How old're you, boy, ten? Eleven, tops?" He laughed, then looked suddenly serious, though his eyes twinkled with a daredevil's constant humor. "Hey, I got a job for you. You don't much care for the law, do you?"

"Nope, not at all," she answered, starting to get excited. Just those few words sounded like the beginning of a successful offer.

"Well, I need your help," he said, reaching into a coat-pocket and pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. "I'm searchin' for this man."

She took the paper, and as she read it felt her heart sink. The picture was a drawning of an older-looking man, probably fourty or so, with a large black hat and dark black eyes, and a sneer of a smile. Above it the sign said "Wanted" and below said, "Left-Shot Lucius: $$2,000 double dollars. Wanted for the murders of many, as well as kidnapping, theft, and vandalism."

"So, what, you a bounty hunter or somethin'?" she asked.

"Naw, I'm just lookin' for him. Been searchin' for him for a while." The man didn't say more, other than, "Have y'seen him?" At the shake of her head he finished, "Well, y'could help me look for 'im."

"Sure, I'll help," she said, handing him back the paper. "I got nothin' better t'do anyways. I'm Alex, by the way."

"Cheers, Alex," the man greeted, offering her his hand. She took it, enjoying the feel of his cool, whispery-slick flesh on hers. "I'm Eamon Daurez. I'm headin' to April City to meet a few friends of mine that I've not seen in ages. On the steamer you c'n be me li'l pal, a'right?"

She grinned, though didn't particularly like the words "li'l pal". Hey, she wasn't _that _little! "A'right, man." She heard her stomach grumble, and the familiar feeling of hunger struck her. She licked her lips and urged her stomach to be patient. She didn't have enough money to waste on food on the ship.

"God, m'boy, you sure sound hungry," Eamon exclaimed. "When d'you last eat?"

"Uh, not since yesterday evenin'," Alex answered. It was true; her, Chris, and Kara weren't really able to eat straight meals as most people did.

"Chrissakes, lad, that's too long!" the man said in shock. "Come with me, we'll go get a bite."

Grinning, she followed after him to the dining level of the steamer, thinking, _I might like this a lot!_

"Y'know how t'shoot that, Alex?" Eamon asked, nodding to the pistol she held in her hands. They sat on the deck of the ship again, under an afternoon sky, her showing him her meager possessions. It had been a day since she had left Warren, and most of that whole time was spent with Eamon. The man had the most amusing sense of exasperated and cynical humor, though he could be as stern and serious as a father at times, and not only that, he was real smart, explaining to her things about the world that she would've never even dreamed of learning in Warren.

"Yeah, of course!" she growled indignantly. "I wouldn't be carryin' it if I didn't!"

"Okay, okay!" he said mildly, holding his hands in surrender. "Lots'a people carry guns and pretend to be able to use'em, when they really don't have a clue in hell. That's called bein' a damn idiot. Carryin' a weapon should mean y'can use it, which means that y'can get shot at an' be able to fire back. Idiots die all the time from stupid shit like that."

"I'm not an idiot, though," she said matter-of-factly, checking the chamber to find two bullets in place. She cocked the gun and aimed at a rock a good distance away on the ground, taking careful aim, she pulled back gently on the trigger, and hit the rock nearly evenly, causing it to split into huge portions and tiny shards.

Eamon whistled appreciatively. "Mighty fine, m'lad, y'got a shot t'rival the Humanoid Typhoon!"

Hearing the title, she looked at him excitedly and said, "Y'mean Vash the Stampede! He's my idol!"

He frowned at her mockingly. "Nice young boy like you shouldn't have a deadly outlaw like that man for an idol. Only get you in trouble."

"So? I love the stories about him! Didja hear what he did t'the city of July? Totally destroyed it, though not a single fatality in the wreckage. He's my hero!" She grinned.

"You're a disturbed child," Eamon said, shaking his head, then took on a smooth, sophisticated tone. "Such a violent, cruel world we live in these days, where children learn to shoot guns from birth and men die each and every day through causeless acts of hatred and anger that could be altogether avoided. We are but mere mortals with mere emotions under the sky of God."

"Now you're talkin' disturbed," Alex laughed. "I mean, sure, it's true, but don't get all philosophical on me, now, man."

She handed him the gun, which he sat down carefully beside himself, as she pulled out her next item. It was a bow and fiddle, not the finest quality but still playable. In the same riot that Chris had stolen her her gun, she had gotten herself a fiddle as well. Just like the pistol, she had played and played at it, working out little tunes and going to celebrations in Warren's centerplace to hear the songs played by orchestrations, and speaking with fiddlers, then figuring it out on her fiddle. After a while, Alex had gotten pretty good at it.

"You c'n play this?" Eamon asked, touching the scroll of the instrument delicately.

"Good 'nough," she answered. She took the fiddle and played a little scale on the strings, G, D, A, and E, then a quick little tune that she remembered was about a dog with three legs and a tail-less cat.

"Hmm, that is pretty good," he agreed. She handed him the fiddle and bow, and reached into her bag for her next items: a knife from Chris, her money in a little pouch, and bandages from Kara. Alex explained quickly that they were from her "girlfriend" in Warren, who was worried about her getting shot. In actuality, Kara had sent them with her so when Alex had the nuisance of breasts, she could bind herself.

"You're too young to have a girlfriend," Eamon said about Kara, then added, "or to get shot, for that matter."

"Hey, mate, you're never too young," Alex answered with a wink.

"I'm gettin' advice like that from a child?" he said dryly, and she grinned.

As well as that, the pair continued to search for the outlaw known as Left-Shot Lucius, but never really getting close to successful. It was the night before they entered April City when luck and fate struck.

**Hope y'don't mind the language, folks. It'll be in this story to the end. Anyways, I plan on getting quite a few chapters up until I run out; I just started typing this, and divided it into chapters. So to all my readers, all two of you :) keep reading!**

**Here's a quote-of-the-chapter:  
"It's great being a pessimist. You're never truly shocked, just pleasantly surprised."**

**-Wolf**


	3. Finding Lucius and whiskey with the Red ...

**Yet another chapter of mine...**

**Li'l piece of my day: I was at a tae kwon do tournament ((martial arts, for those who don't know, and I was a competitor, I'm a blue belt)) and I was sparring with this one chick, and she kicked me in the face on accident, and hit my nose, and it hurt like hell! And then I was going against my friend Dalton, and he kicked, and I blocked, and his foot struck my elbow, and that hurts like hell too! But I did get two bronze medals, in pattern and sparring...**

**Chibi Knives: ((sarcastic)) Great...**

**Me: Grrr, I could just smack you...((pauses, then cries)) no, I could never hit you, my love!**

**Chibi Knives: eep!**

**Anyways, you got the drill, read an' review!  
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Alex walked down the hallway from her room, heading up to the deck to meet Eamon. He had made her a little belt-loop that she could hang her pistol on and carry with her, so she walked with a newfound confidence to her step. Not paying attention to where she was going, she turned a corner and ran smack into someone. Falling back on her rear, she rubbed her forehead and looked up, then stood, glaring at the man before her. He was tall, and huge, barrel-chested and broad-shouldered and six-foot-six under a long silver coat open to reveal a grey shirt and brown pants, carrying a row of guns on his belt.

"Watch it, kid," he growled in a deep, booming voice, black eyes flashing in a tan-skinned face.

"You watch it," she snarled back, not in the least frightened by the man. Fear just wasn't in her vocabulary; she had never felt it, and expected never to feel it in her life. His size didn't even intimidate her; she always had her trusty pistol on her belt.

"Don't talk back to your elders, you'll end up gettin' killed," he said, turning and lumbering down the hall. No, not lumbering, she thought. Not really gliding along, but not waddling like big, fat people did. More of like he knew he was muscled and carried himself in a trained, agile way.

Suddenly his face flashed up in her mind, but differently: underneath a big "Wanted" sign, above the words "Left-Shot Lucius". He was the outlaw!

"Wait!" she called as he disappeared around a far corner, and drawing her gun she raced after him. Turning down the same hallway he had disappeared, she ran as fast as she could, trying to catch up to him. How did he move so fast?

And then she tripped over something, and falling face-first into the floor, she dropped her pistol and rolled over, crossing her arms protectively in front of her chest in a reflex. She found herself staring down the barrel of a pretty big gun, with the outlaw Lucius on the other end.

"Don't follow me, boy," he said roughly, kicking her pistol away from her searching hand. "If you come after me again, I will shoot you!"

She glared defiantly at him, licking her lips as an indignant anger rose up in her. He turned and ran down the hall, his gun aimed at her the whole way until he vanished past another corner. Alex immediately scrambled over and grabbed her gun, then stood and, instead of going after him, made a smarter move: she went to find Eamon.

Halfway to the deck she found him, and he grinned and said, "What took y'so long? I came t'find you!" At her look, though, he lost his grin and grew serious. "What?"

"I found Lucius," she said. "Well, more of ran into him. I tried to chase after him, but he...stopped me."

"He didn't hurt you at all, did he?" Eamon asked, a concern in his voice that surprised her.

"No," she answered quickly. "Maybe bruised knees and a forehead dent."

"Let's go get 'im," he said. She nodded, and he drew a revolver from under his coat, and the pair raced down to the level she had found the outlaw on, and showed Eamon where he had gone. Eamon took off in an instant, and Alex had to sprint after him, wondering at his eagerness. They must've ran for quite a while, going past passersby who gave them sharp or curious looks, steamer workers who merely stepped aside, and others. Eventually, running very short of breath, Alex grabbed Eamon's coatsleeve and yanked him to a halt.

"Where d'you know where he's goin'?" she asked in gasps.

"Trust me, I know," he said in a low growl, staring foreward, and then he started running again, and she resignedly followed after. Slowly she began to hear low grinding noises, then it got louder and louder, until she realized they were heading to the engine room of the sandsteamer. Eamon reached a door that said "Personnel Only" and flung it open, darting inside. She followed after him, a bit more cautious, into the grinding and turning of the machines that ran the steamer. The Plant energy wouldn't be behind an unlocked door; it was too precious for anyone to be able to just walk in--sort of what they were doing now!

"Eamon!" she called, losing sight of him behind one of the machines. She had to raise her voice to be heard over the chaotic noise. "Eee-aaaaa-moooon!"

She heard the richochet of a bullet bouncing off metal and ducked, cocking her pistol and looking around, her heart beating excitedly. She saw a flash of silver, and heard another shot. Then she heard a cry from a familiar voice, that of the man she had had as company for the past few days. She couldn't distinguish his words, but she shouted his name as loud as she could, feeling her voice go rough and painful.

Suddenly she heard another shot just as she felt a whoosh of metal through air pass over her left shoulder, and a second inches from her right ear. She ducked, as low as she could, and crept forward, searching for Eamon and the outlaw Lucius.

And then she came to a small area between a group of machines where she found Eamon and Lucius facing each other, a gun pointed to each other's temples. They were talking, Eamon with a cold grin, Lucius a haughty smirk. Then Eamon said something that made Lucius laugh, and the outlaw lowered his weapon, grinning. Eamon lowered his as well, and to Alex's astonishment, the two clasped hands and exchanged a brotherly hug.

"Eamon?!" she gasped, and Eamon looked her way.

After that they headed to the deck, where Eamon explained everything to Alex.

"I'm an outlaw, boy," he said, "and Lucius is, too. We're in the same gang, the Red Hill Coyotes, which is based in April City. I left April a few years ago, heading to my hometown of Crow's Feet to visit my sister. When I returned, Lucius had left the gang and gone off into the world to become his own outlaw. So I went searching for him, for three years, finally deciding to take a ship back to April to tell my Coyotes that he was gone for good.

"When I first saw you I actually saw a bit of that spitfire that makes an outlaw, and I couldn't tell your age from a distance, so I approached to see if you knew who Lucius was. When I saw you were but a lad, I figured you could help me anyways, thinking I was a sort of bounty hunter or something."

"Really?" she said, surprised. And happy, too. Because her dream for a gang might finally come true. "Hey, Eamon, can I become a Red Hill Coyote?"

"You?" Lucius exclaimed with a mocking laugh. "You're just a child, you wouldn't work in a gang!"

"'Course I would," she snapped defensively. "I wanna be an outlaw, and I got a damn good shot!"

"He does, Luce," Eamon said appreciatively. "I've seen it. We could work well with him."

"Well," Lucius said, leaning back and crossing his arms. "Vann told me you're the new gang leader now, ain't you? You can let 'im in if y'want."

"That settles it, then," Eamon replied, grinning. "Alex, I dub thee now a Red Hill Coyote. 'Course, you'll have to prove yourself to th'gang, but that'll come later. Y'think you're up to the challenge of murder, theft, drinkin', screwin', an' basically defyin' every law imaginable?"

"Yes SIR!" she said, laughing. "I'll be the best Coyote y'got!"  
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April City was gigantic compared to her small town of Warren. Big buildings, people everywhere, saloons and restaurants as well, buses, and almost everything. When they arrived Eamon and Lucius took her immediately to a saloon called "Red Ice", which was dark and cool and a great relief from the heat outside. Adjusting to the dim lighting, Alex surveyed the manner of those in the room, and watched as nearly all of them hailed Eamon and laughed and cheered when Eamon announced Lucius's return to the Coyotes. This must be their base of operations, she thought, following the other two and glancing around uncertainly.

"Hey, Eamon, who's that fine young lad with you?" a man playing poker with a few others called, and they laughed.

"Oh, this is our newest Coyote, Alex," Eamon announced, smiling handsomely at the woman behind the bar. "Renn, whiskey, please."

"Great, look who's back," the woman said sarcastically in a husky, tough voice. "Certainly, whiskey. And you, lad?"

"Uh," Alex began, glancing around, then said quickly, "whiskey for me, too."

"Are y'even old 'nough t'hold your liquor yet, son?" a tall, slim blond man, more lanky than muscled, asked in a light, cheery voice, eyes twinkling with an inner humor.

She was about to snap back at him indignantly when Eamon cut in, "Sure can, mate. Alex, this is my bloodbrother Vann. He was one of the original founders of the Red Hill Coyotes. Vann, my new lad Alex."

"Greets," Vann said, clasping her hand. "I was just wonderin', 'cause you look like a lightweight t'me."

"Naw, man," she said, grinning daredevilishly. "See?" she grabbed the glass of whiskey Renn had gotten for her and finished it in a straight gulp, forcing herself not to wince at the burn.

The men around the bar hooted and cheered, and Vann grinned. "Seems y'can, mate. Hey, just remember one thing that we Coyotes have been taught since our first days: drinkin' your liquor straight will kill y'faster."

"Good," she said, putting her glass down and motioning for more. "Hey, I ain't gettin' any younger!" She finished that glass in one sitting again, the burn more bearable this time. Vann patted her on the back.

"You'll make a fine Coyote, no mistakin', m'boy," he said, laughing and clinking his cup against hers.

That night she did more things than she had ever done in her whole life: drank, played poker, was flirted with by Renn's daughter Leah as well as some of the saloon wenches, drank some more, smoked her first cigarettes, drank more, got into a small fistfight with one of the men named Trent, ate a steak, drank some more, and eventually passed out next to Eamon. She woke up slightly when she found Eamon and Vann setting her down in bed, and mumbled, "Whiskey, please!"

"No, lad, no more drinkin' for you tonight," Eamon said sternly.

"He'll be throwin' up 'til noon, th' way he was drinkin'," Vann said, laughing hard, and the two vanished from her blackening vision.

She drifted in that blissful darkness for a while, when suddenly her stomach wrenched painfully and all of its contents came pouring from her mouth, onto the floor next to the bed. Again and again she threw up, till she was crying from the pain in her stomach and the pounding in her head. From somewhere she heard someone laughing, and she swore fiercely at them between vomit, and then someone was pressing something cold to her forehead and whispering for her to go to sleep. Then she went to sleep and dreamed, dreamed she was wandering through a desert, and people passed by her dressed in rich, fancy gowns and tuxedos, chatting and ignoring her. Then darkness came and she stood on a rock, playing her fiddle, and two men appeared before her, one blond with cold eyes and pale skin, the other blue-haired and amber-eyed, and the first one laughed as she played, and the second one smiled.

And then she woke up to light beating down on her eyes painfully, and her head throbbing like she had been hit with a rock, and she cried out at her pain, wanting to curl up and die.

"Shhh, it's alright, Alex," Eamon said, sitting down on the bed next to her. "You drank too much last night, and you'll have a hangover for a while now. It hurts, but the best thing y'can do is sleep."

"Christ, boy, I must applaud you," another voice said, and she turned her head a bit to see Lucius sitting up on a bed next to her, grinning. "A lightweight like you drinkin' so much whiskey, and then lasting through a night like that, you're tough."

She sat up, and immediately regretted it, but before Eamon pushed her back down she got a look of the room she was in. It was large, as big as the saloon-room, and beds were scattered all around, some with people still sleeping in them, others empty.

"Renn the saloon owner was a friend of Vann's when our gang was first made," Eamon explained. "She gave us free boardin', and soon this really became our home. This is the basement floor of th'Red Ice. But just go back t'sleep, and you'll feel better later."

"Okay," she said, not quite sure if he was telling the truth, but went back to sleep anyways. She was awakened by raucuous laughter and someone shaking her, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking around in surprise. The laughter was coming from upstairs; the shaking, from one of the Coyote men she didn't know yet.

"Uh, Eamon said t'wake y'up, it's a'ready sunset," the man said, and she nodded, yawning. She really didn't feel sick anymore, just had the sickly aftertaste of vomit in her mouth. She stood up on the floor, avoiding a stain of her puke, and headed upstairs, to the main bar-room, where she sought out Eamon. He sat at a table with Vann, Lucius, and a few others, and she crossed over to meet them.

"Hey, cheers," she greeted, taking an offered seat between Eamon and Vann. "Whatcha talkin' about?"

"Glad you're so spiffy this evenin'," Eamon said, then grinned. "We're just debatin' what we should do about a certain bounty hunter comin' to our li'l city."

"Does the name Mitch Deathseeker ring a bell, boy?" Lucius asked. Alex shook her head, so he continued, "Well, the Deathseeker is a notorius bounty hunter. He's dodged death from quite a few of 'is more dangerous bounties, an' after catchin' the outlaw Silvereye Shaune--by pure luck, mind you--he earned the name Deathseeker."

"We've got word he's comin' to April," Vann said. "After Lucius. A $$2,000 double-dollar bounty is too much for Deathseeker t'pass up."

"Well, what're we gonna do about it?" she demanded.

"Ain't you a li'l thinker, aye," Eamon exclaimed. "Our plans're to get a bait an' get 'im to come after us, an' then we'll ambush 'im and shoot his brains out."

"Who's the bait, then?" she asked. When nobody replied, she looked around at them, frowning. "Well?"

"Uh, well, lad, 'member when I told you that you'd have to prove y'self sometime to us?" Eamon asked, with a bit of a sympathetic smile.

"You mean, I'm the bait?" Alex nearly yelled, then bit her lip to shut herself up. Finally she said, "I'm bait? What if I get my ass shot off?"

"Don't worry, we'll be watchin' out for you," Vann said. "You'll be fine. Y'just gotta stick clear of us when we shoot at 'im, a'right?" When she nodded, he said, "Okay, here's the plan."

**'Tis done...now read a li'l rant from me...**

**I don't wanna do my homework...I just got pounded this week with work in every class, math, science, social studies, reading, language arts, I mean, what the hell?! We were on a break this entire weekend, and they gave us all this?**

**When I take over the world, schools will be the first thing to go...**

**Here's my infamous quote-of-the-chapter:  
"We are not perfect, but in our imperfection we reach a level of such that is to rival God." --I won't tell you who the quoter is...**

**Chibi Knives: Retard...YOU made that quote...it's wrong, might I add...**

**GAAH! Death to you...((squishes Knives to self in tight hug))**

**-Wolf**


	4. First Time Shooting, First Time Shot

**Thanks to all who read and reviewed. Curse all who didn't read and review.**

**Disclaimer: I own Trigun, and there ain't a damn thing you can do about it!  
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Alex stood outside of the Red Ice, her tan hat tilted to shadow her face, as she leaned up against the building. Despite the easy look, she was actually glancing around, watching the lookouts positioned on the rooftops of the buildings around her. There was Thom, the wiry young brown-haired Coyote on the rooftop across from her, and Kett, another young member with a short, stocky build, on one down the street, and she knew two others, Gryff and Soren, were nearby, watching too. From sources within the city, Eamon had determined that the bounty hunter would be arriving today, so he had them on the lookout.

Wiping her sweaty palms on her pants, she adjusted the blue and white bandanas wrapped around either wrist, then caressed her pistol in her belt to keep her calm. Then she blinked, seeing Kett suddenly turn and motion to Thom, who motioned to her.

She darted inside, and at her appearance the room fell silent. She motioned to Eamon, who, with Vann and Lucius, headed downstairs and to an escape route built into the building that led to another building on the outskirts of the city.

The plan was at a simple point now. She would wait for Mitch Deathseeker to enter the bar, and more than likely ask Renn if she knew where Lucius was. Alex would then announce herself quietly to him, and tell him she knew exactly where he was, and she'd lead him to him. Then she'd go outside and head for the building at the edge of town, where she'd signal to the watching Gryff, who would send Soren out on a thomas to the nearby hills, where the gang was waiting.

Before she knew it, the door was flung open, and she glanced around to see the new arrival. From the looks passing around, she knew it was the Deathseeker. He was kind of short, but stout and muscular, a red bandana on underneath a brown leather had, a brown leather trenchcoat open to reveal black pants, a red shirt, and boots with spurs on the ends. Around his waist were an assortment of handguns and weaponry.

The bounty hunter reached the bar, sitting on the stool a seat away from her. She focused on the whiskey she was carefully drinking. Eamon suggested it to her, but she had to drink it slowly and only enough to cool her nerves, not numb them.

"What'll it be, sir?" Renn asked, as her daughter Leah fetched up a glass.

"Whiskey, please, ma'am," the man said, and added, pulling a paper from his pocket, "and information. Y'know this man?"

Alex saw it was a "Wanted" poster of Lucius, just like the one Eamon had shown her.

"Nope, sorry, can't say I have," Renn said, and Leah sat the whiskey in front of him.

"I do," Alex said to him quietly. The man turned and looked at her, a curious look in his dark brown eyes. His face had numerous scars along it, most likely from knife-fights. "Left-Shot Lucius? Yeah, I know the bastard. Came here a few days ago, an' I know where he stays."

"Can y'show me?" the Deathseeker asked.

Alex gave a glance around, then motioned to the door with her head. Rising, she headed to the door, glancing back to make sure the bounty hunter was following. He was, and inside she grinned triumphantly. She led him outside, down the busy street, and a while on until she reached the edge of the city. There she rolled her eyes to the rooftops, and saw Gryff. She touched the brim of her hat, and he disappeared with a nod.

"You sure you know where you're goin', lad?" he asked, suspicion in his voice.

"'Course, sir," she replied, starting out into the desert, towards the hilly-rocky area where the gang was waiting. "You a bounty hunter or somethin'?" she asked as they walked.

He gave her a cryptic, "Yes," and remained silent. She glanced at him, then shrugged slightly. As they continued on, a new thought entered her mind: _I could whip out my gun right now and shoot him, all by myself. _But the thought vanished on a small pinprick of doubt that steadily grew bigger and bigger, wiping out the certainty. She would stick to the gang's plan.

"Here," she said, pointing to the rocky hill that rose before them. "They got a base up there, sir."

"Come with me," he said, pulling a gun off his belt and cocking it, then pointing it at her. Her mouth went dry. "No tricks, y'hear? I got my suspicions, and if you're lyin' to me, I'll shoot you."

"Bloody asshole," she growled, and went up to the rocks, praying to God that they wouldn't start shooting until she was clear. The bounty hunter was positioning her directly in front of him, and only the best of snipers would get a headshot.

She saw a miniscule flash of blond hair to her left, and thought of Vann. Was he really going to make sure she didn't get shot herself?

"Keep movin'," the Deathseeker said when she slowed down to climb over a rock. "I'm not afraid to shoot a boy child."

"Fuck you," she snapped at him, then turned away and bit her tongue, continuing on. Then she dropped over a rock into a clearing, and someone grabbed her by the shirt and yanked her between two boulders. As the Deathseeker swore, she looked up at the man crowded with her in the tiny space to see Eamon, staring out intently into the clearing.

Alex flinched when a gunshot went off, and held still when a series of shots sounded for a while. Then there was silence. Eamon gave her a nudge, and she crawled cautiously out of the tiny space, looking around. Two Red Hill gangsters lay on the ground, blood pooling around their bodies, but the Deathseeker crouched on the ground, holding a bleeding wound in his stomach as he pointed his gun across at where she figured Vann and Lucius and the others had ducked down. And then she realized her own predicament, as the bounty hunter's gun swiveled her way. She only had a chance to draw her own gun and hear Eamon cry, "Alex!" when the Deathseeker fired.

What felt like a knife stabbed her in the arm, and she let out a cry of pain as she dodged aside. It wasn't a killshot; if it had been, she would've been dead. She fired her pistol automatically, and struck the bounty hunter in the chest, sending him sprawling. He fired back at her, and she tried dodging out of the way, missing a bullet to her gut and her forehead.

And then the other Coyotes had stood up and were firing upon the bounty hunter, who tried firing back, when his body was riddled with bullets. Then Eamon called for them to stop, and the Deathseeker scrambled his way the best he could over the rocks and on his feet, limping off into the desert.

"Get 'im, lad!" Vann cried.

Alex jumped up on one of the rocks, taking careful aim with her pistol at the pitiful form. The bounty hunter fell, and she waited. Just as he stood up, in the moment it took him to start moving again, she fired, and he dropped instantly.

"Y'got 'im!" a Coyote named Kale called. The gang cheered.

Alex took a deep breath, exhilarated. They trekked out after the Deathseeker's body, and she stood over him, seeing where her bullet had struck him_--_in the head. The scent of blood made her nostrils flare, her heart beat faster. The giddiness from a kill overtook her, and she grinned wide, dropping to her knees beside him and touching one of his bloody wounds, drawing the crimson liquid to her face and staring at it in fascination.

"You're a true Red Hill Coyote now," Lucius said. "Killin' the Deathseeker was no easy feat, boy."

Alex grinned wider, and then felt suddenly lightheaded, swooning slightly. Eamon saw the look, and said quickly, "Let's get back home."  
  
"Well, killed for th' first time and got shot for the first time," Eamon said, cleaning out her gunshot wound on her arm, just above the elbow joint. The bullet lay in her opposite palm, dug out painfully by the man with a knife. But she was delighted. She was a true outlaw now!

"When can I do that again, man?" she asked.

"I see y'got the bloodlust," he said, shaking his head. "Don't let it overcome you. I've seen plenty of good men go down like that."

"He ain't a man, he's a boy," Vann said from where he sat cleaning their guns. "Damn fine shot, though. Y'were right, mate. 'E'll be a great Coyote."

"I wanna be an infamous outlaw," she said, wincing as Eamon poured whiskey over the wound. "I wanna be known all over Gunsmoke an' be feared and recognized as the greatest outlaw!"

"His hero's Vash the Stampede," Eamon explained to Vann, who raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, I see now." He grinned. "Well, y'gonna try an' wipe out a whole city like 'im? Put a hole in a moon? Huh?"

"I sure the hell will try," she said, grinning.

And so that's how Alex's dream of being an outlaw took flight. She stayed with the Red Hill Coyotes for months after that, growing a special "brotherly" bond with Eamon, and remaining loyal to her gang_--_as well as learning how to hold her liquor properly.

**Now, for my quote-of-the-chapter:**

**"Violence is not the answer, violence is the question; YES is the answer!"**

**And as well as that more proof of my psychotic-ness:**

**A few weeks ago I was at school, and I had to go back to my locker to get something. When I entered the quiet classroom again, one of the boys was like, "What were _you _doing?"**

**I slowly closed the door, then turned and faced him and said in the coldest, most emotionless tone I could make, "I was killing many people, causing mass genocide."**

**And I took a personality quiz, and my personality best matches Legato. Ain't that creepy? I still worship my god, Knives, though, but Legato's pretty awesome too.**

**KNIVES-- My GOD and MASTER ((worship thee, holiest of holies!))  
LEGATO-- My DESIRE AND DREAMBOY((in my dreams at night, tee-hee!))**


	5. Crosses, redcoats, and barfights

**Why does FanFiction take so damn long to put my updates up? ((Growls))**

**Recently I've discovered R-rated Trigun fics, ranging from yaoi to just plan graphic-ness...but I can say my favorite is now officially one called "Pajama Party". That had me laughing my ass off! That, and "Poetry Corner with Legato Bluesummers", which was as funny as hell, too. Remember, kids: I like comedy, and I like sex and ra-- ((is bleeped out when an outraged Knives covers mouth at the end of obscene sentence))**

**Anyways, here's my newest addition. Disclaimer: I still got Knives and Legato, and you ain't never gonna find 'em!**

**((Sound of feds breaking into house, finding Knives and Legato locked up in chains in my basement, covered in whip lashes))**

**Chibi Knives: Your dear authoress is a total dominatrix on the inside...**

**Me: Oh, only you would know, Knives...only you...((and Legato))**

**Chibi Knives: Eeek!  
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On Alex's thirteenth birthday, the gang had a great big celebration, and she drank almost as bad as her first night with them, and partied all-out. Before she was too drunk she put on a little performance for them on her fiddle, playing jigs and fun dances, and then afterwards got drenched. Obviously having passed out, she woke up the next morning in bed, and found out from an amused Vann that she had stayed up late talking with Eamon, who had also been drunk and had gone unconscious as well.

As well as that, nobody ever really even guessed she was a girl. They thought it funny that she was shy around flirting women, thinking it just boyish unconfidence, and always trying to set her up with the women around her: first the saloon wenches, then Leah, Renn's daughter, and even some of the city-girls. Eventually they gave up on trying to get the skill-less lad a good time in that category.

One day, Red Ice was pretty empty, most of the Coyotes out on their own, and Alex sat playing poker with Eamon and a few of the other Coyotes, when the door opened and in walked a group of four: two women, one big girl with dark brown hair, the other smaller and fiercer-seeming, a man in black carrying a large cross, making them assume he was a priest, and another man, dressed in a red coat, with blond spiky hair and aqua eyes. Alex watched them with curiosity, then just shrugged, figuring them to be visitors.

"Who're they?" Kett, one of the young Coyotes, asked Kale next to him.

"I dunno," Kale said with a shrug, watching the newly-arrived group. "Visitors, maybe."

"Perfect opportunity for some pickpocketing," another man, one of the young and least experienced Coyotes, named Zad, said, grinning.

"I don't think we should," Alex said.

"Why not?" Zad asked, raising an eyebrow.

"'Cause, I just don't like the looks of them," she said. "'Specially that big cross. What the hell is that, anyway?"

"A cross, Alex," Kale said with a grin. "He's prob'ly a priest."

"Well, let's just leave 'em alone for now," Eamon said. "Anyways, y'know about the trouble we've been havin' with the Blackwater Snakes?" The Snakes were a gang that were currently trying to take over the Red Hill territory in April City. "Vann gots a plan where we c'n take 'em out. We take those travelin' by themselves out, an' slowly one-by-one they'll drop off."

"Sounds like it might work," Kale said. "But it also might start a gang-war."

"So?" Eamon asked. "A little bit of gang-wars never hurt anybody."

"No, it just killed them," Alex and Kett finished together.

"Speakin' of Snakes," Zad said, nodding to the door. Two men had just entered, both in long black coats that were open to reveal their weapons. They were definite Snake gangsters.

"How dare they just walk into our territory," Kale growled, rising out of his chair slightly. The motion caught the Snakes' attention, and they came sidling over their way, hands flexing near their weapons. Alex slowly began to reach down for her pistol, but Eamon caught her eye and shook his head ever so slightly.

"'Ello, chaps," one of the Snakes said, hand resting on his gun as he leaned up against their table. "Fine day, ain't it?"

"You're breachin' territory, shithead," Kale snarled quietly. "This is Red Hill area. Go back to your mamas and leave the real gang to reign."

"Why, you_--_" the other Snake began, but the first one stopped him. He smiled at them, but his eyes flashed menacingly.

"We're gonna take over this city easily," he said, in a threatening low voice. "And there ain't nothin' you bastards c'n do about it!" He swung his hand across the table, scattering their chips and cards. Immediately everyone had their guns out and had them pointing at everyone else.

"Hey, Eamon, need help with those fuckin' assholes?" Renn said, coming around, and smacked one of the Snakes in the face. The Snake touched his face, then raised his fist and punched her, knocking her down. Alex snarled and leapt forward, striking him in the temple with her pistol and knocking him down as well, then placing the barrel in his mouth.

"Don't you touch her, or any of them," she yelled in his face. "Y'hear?" She felt suddenly a surge of glee through her violent anger at the look of fear in his eyes. She belted him agan in the face with the pistol. "I said, y'hear?"

He nodded, a small whimper coming from him. She grimaced at him in disgust as she stood, and spit on him. "You ain't even worth my bullet, bastard. Get the hell outta here now, got it?"

The Snake she hadn't assaulted helped the first one up, and the two scrambled out of the saloon. Alex put her gun away, and helped Renn to her feet. "You okay, Renn?"

"Yeah, thanks, Alex," she said, rubbing her cheek. "Y'want some whiskey or somethin'?"

"Sure," she answered. As she sat back down, she looked at the other Coyotes, who were quietly looking around at each other. "What?"

"That was awesome," Kett said, grinning. "You beat the shit outta him!"

"Yeah, it was awesome," Eamon began. "But somewhat stupid. Now we're gonna have a gang war."

"So," she snapped. "They did technically start it, breachin' territory." She thanked Leah as the girl handed her her glass of whiskey. As Leah walked off, Alex's eyes turned automatically to something, and she found herself looking at one of the men who had entered in the group before the Snakes, the one in the red coat. He was looking at her too, with those aqua eyes, and she made a little gasp, they were so pretty and deep, so emotional...suddenly she felt a swell of guilt spring up over what she just did, and she looked away quickly.

"Zad, go find Vann and Lucius, and tell them what happened," Eamon said. "I'm afraid they might try an' attack _us _while we ain't all together now." Zad nodded and exited swiftly. Alex took her whiskey glass and gulped it down straight, then found Eamon staring at her with slight amusement in his eyes.

"'Member what Vann told you th'first day y'were here?" he asked.

She grinned. "'Drinkin' your liquor straight will kill you faster', if I remember right."

"And you replied with, 'Hey, I ain't gettin' any younger!'," Eamon said. She chuckled slightly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. What the hell, we're all gonna die anyways, I think I'll drink it straight," Alex said with a bit of a shrug. "I'm gonna go get a refill."

As she stood up to go, Kett said to Eamon in confusion, "I ain't never gonna understand 'im."

Eamon smiled. "Perhaps we never will, mate."

---.:.begin.:.---

Vash glanced up at the sign and read, "The Red Ice Saloon."

Beside him, Wolfwood said, "Sounds promising. I say we go."

"Just for a little bit," Meryl said sternly. "Only for a drink, understand?"

"And ice cream?" Milly asked eagerly. "I want ice cream!"

"Sure, ice cream too," Meryl said with a resigned shrug. "Why not?"

The four entered the bar, pausing briefly to adjust to the dim lighting of the room, and the cool atmosphere compared to the heat outside. Vash glanced around, and noted immediately where they were: in a bar of outlaws. But he strode on through thirst, and they took a table, Wolfwood propping his cross-gun against his leg. The priest glanced around, and his eyes went to the table with the five people playing poker. Four of them were men, one of them younger than most, but the fifth one didn't appear more than a boy. He noticed the pistol on the boy's belt.

"Ice cream!" Milly said excitedly when the tough-looking bartender woman came over to get what they wanted.

"Whiskey for us, please," Wolfwood said, motioning to the others. The woman nodded and headed back to the bar, where they started their orders.

The doors opened again, and the four glanced up at the pair entering. Vash saw the table with the five playing poker go tense, and one of them rise halfway up in anger. The pair sidled up to that table, and after a brief mix of hostile conversation, everyone was up with their guns out. Vash tensed and reached for his own gun, and Wolfwood clutched his cross tighter.

"Hey, Eamon, need help with those fuckin' assholes?" the barwoman asked, coming over. She struck one of the arriving pair, who touched his face and angrily punched her, knocking her down. Wolfwood started to rise, but Vash stopped him, just as the young boy struck the man with his pistol, knocking him down, and sticking the barrel in his mouth.

"Don't you touch her, or any of them," the boy yelled in his face. "Y'hear?" When the man didn't respond, the boy struck him again. "I said, y'hear?" The man nodded frightenedly, and the boy stood up, spitting on him. "You ain't even worth my bullet, bastard. Get the hell outta here now, got it?" The pair clambered out quickly, and the boy helped the bartender up to her feet, asking if she was alright.

"That was interesting," Meryl said quietly.

"He's just a child," Wolfwood said, taking out a cigarette and lighting up. "In a gang."

Vash listened to the conversation, watching the boy. When the bartender's girl delivered a glass of whiskey, the boy thanked her, then out of some instinct his dark brown eyes found Vash's. As he stared, Vash caught the surprise, awe, and then sudden welling of guilt show, as the boy looked hurriedly away. Vash, though, had gotten a sense of something different with the boy.

"Your ice cream and whiskey," the bartender woman said, setting down their orders for them. Wolfwood glanced at the forming bruise on her face, but before he could say anything she had hurried away.

"Let's finish this and get back to our stay," the priest said quietly, and the others nodded in agreement.

---.:.end.:.---

**As you might've guessed at my above A/N, my young teenage female hormones are raging...after reading certain scenes with Knives and Legato involved in most of them...**

**((Glance goes to the two named Trigun characters chained to wall, who cower away from their cruel and hormone-filled master...))  
Of course, you might be happy when you realize my story has so far been very clean with sexual graphicness...that comes LATER! Muahahahahaha!**

**Quote-of-the-chapter:  
The infamous li'l line: "Kill the spiders to save the butterflies."**

**This really creepy thing happened last night, I was laying down on my bed with my head at the end, staring at my big dreamcatcher hanging at my closet door ((it was given to my stepmom from a friend when she was little, and she gave it to me)), and the wood is willow, but the "web" is made of this beautiful sky-blue yarn, and tied in the center is this little ceramic butterfly...and suddenly my Knives-obsessed mind made the connection: The butterfly is caught in the spider's web...**

**Creepy, eh? That's what you get for reading my stuff! ((when readers run away, starts sobbing)) No, I didn't mean for you to go! Aww, damn...  
  
-Wolf **


	6. Blood, Love and Peace

**Disclaimer: Read or die...  
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Alex stood out in the cool night air in the middle of April City, smoking a cigarette as she waited for the arrival of Vann and Eamon. Vann and Lucius had heard of the even that afternoon, and had devised a quick plan. As well as that, they had to set up territory patrols. Alex was out with Eamon and Vann for that night.

"Cheers, chum," a voice said, and she jumped. Eamon appeared from the shadows, Vann trailing behind as he took out a mini-liquor bottle and had a swig.

"Where're we patrollin'?" she asked, taking the bottle as Vann offered it and taking a gulp. It was a thicker liquor she hadn't tasted before, which burned more than whiskey. She coughed, and handed him back the bottle wordlessly. He grinned.

"Around the West District," Eamon said. "Let's get goin'."

The three traveled in silence through the streets, that were a bit less busy since it was night but still had plenty of people. Alex quickly picked pockets along the way, only receiving glances from Eamon. They entered the West District soon enough, and nearly immediately could see the signs of the Snakes. Little paint symbols with a squiggly line of a snake and the word "Snake" or "Blackwater".

"Sons of bitches," Vann swore, chucking a rock at a Snake insignia on a metal signpost. It bounced off and struck a passing black cat in the head, which hissed and darted off.

"If we see any Snakes," Eamon began, "draw your guns immediately. Don't fire right away; wait until they shoot, and then don't shoot to kill, only wound."

"Gotcha," Vann and Alex said together. "Here, Eamon, I wanna check out the Slagwurm Quarter, okay?" Vann asked. Eamon nodded, and he parted off into the shadows. Alex and Eamon headed down a dark sidealley, both squinting to check the shadows. When they were certain nobody else was there, Eamon spoke.

"Hey, Alex, what would y'do if I ever got shot?"

Alex stopped dead in her tracks, surprised altogether about his words. She had had a crush on him since she had first seen him, but knowing disguised as a boy gangster she couldn't let him know, she had put her outlaw life before her lovelife. Now the question tapped into her attraction with him, and she was worried he'd see her blush.

"I_--_I don't know," she said. "I'd kill the person who shot you, and if they got away, I'd make sure y'were a'right first, and then I'd track 'em down and kill 'em."

He was silent, and she wondered what he was thinking. Then he said, "Let's keep movin'. I don't like hangin' 'round here blind." They continued on, reaching the end of the alley and turning down a lit street. They went forward in silence, keeping their eyes open for Snakes, until they heard someone call and Vann came to them again.

"I saw a nest in Slagwurm, but they were gone when I got there," he said. "You?"

"Nothin' but signs so far," Eamon said. "I don't know if they're even out right now_--_" at his fateful words, a gunshot rang out, and he fell. Alex and Vann glanced behind them, to see nearly eight Snake gangsters gathered, weapons drawn. Alex and Vann drew, and dove aside as the hail of gunfire started. Alex fired back, feeling a bullet hit her left shoulder and another heavily graze her waist. Her bullets found two Snake targets and knocked them down immediately, which sent the hail of fire more on her instead of Vann.

"Vann, get Eamon outta here!" she shouted, firing as fast as she could. And then the worst happened.

She ran out of bullets.

Alex holstered the pistol quickly and thought of something to do, but then the Snake gunfire stopped and the gang approached, weapons pointed at her. Vann hadn't gotten Eamon out in time, and a Snake's bullet struck him down next to Eamon.

"Ah, it's the little brat Coyote bastard," one of the Snakes snarled, and a pistol was aimed at her head.

And then she saw fear suddenly appear in the eyes of all the Snakes, and weapons were lowered. The gang backed off slowly, then turned and ran. Alex had to grab the nearby building's wall to keep from collapsing, and slowly she turned.

The four from the saloon stood there, the two women, one big and one small, the priest with the cross, and the man in the red coat. Except for now the big woman had a stungun out, the small one two derringers in each hand, the priests a huge cross-shaped gun, and the red-coated man a simple, yet big, gun. She slumped to the ground, and the stungun-bearing woman rushed over to her, with an exclamation of, "Are you okay?"

"Eamon, Vann," she rasped out, motioning to the other two. The smaller woman crouched down and checked each pulse, and Alex whispered, "Are they d_--_dead?"

"Not yet, but they will be soon," she said. The red-coated man put his gun away and picked up Eamon, while the priest slung Vann over his shoulder. The two women helped Alex up, but she tried to push their hands away, trying to keep her pride still intact. After a moment the small woman smacked her upside the head, making her gasp in surprise, and said in a stern tone, "Now, none of that, mister! We're trying to help you, so swallow your pride and let us!" Alex obeyed immediately.

They led her on for what seemed like forever, until they reached a little wooden house. Inside Vann and Eamon were carried to separate beds, while Alex followed after them, despite the women's complaints.

"I'm sorry, ma'ams," she snapped after a while. "I'm fine! Tend to _them_, not me!" It was their turn to listen, and they did. Alex sat in a chair near the beds, anxiously watching them tirelessly. Finally the priest-man walked up beside her and said, "You should get something to eat, boy. Your friends will be fine."

"O_--_okay," Alex stammered, unsure, and followed him absently into the room over. The red-coated man sat on a couch, and she sat down next to him, while the priest-man went into the kitchen to get something.

"What's your name?" the man asked. Alex tried to speak, licked her dry and cracked lips, and tried again.

"Alex," she said, her voice raspy and hoarse. "The blond one is Vann, and the other one is Ea_--_Eamon." She had to struggle out the name; it was painful that just a while before he was shot he had asked her what would she do if he was. And she wasn't able to follow it out, to kill his shooter. She suddenly realized she was crying, and she looked away quickly, wiping her eyes. She wished she had her hat, which was knocked off in the encounter, to cover her face from her tears, but her hands worked, and she covered her eyes, her shoulders shaking with unvoiced sobs.

"They'll live," the man said, and she heard soft sympathy in his voice. "Vann was struck in the shoulder, knocking him down, and the shock knocked him out. Eamon was hit in the chest, but it didn't puncture his heart or lungs."

Alex wiped her eyes, making sure not a single tear remained, and turned her head towards him. "Are you saying that just to make the situation better?"

"No, I'm saying it because it's the truth," the man answered.

"God, as soon as I can, I'm gonna go find the Snakes and kill every single one of them," she growled, gritting her teeth. "I'll kill all of them. I'll find their leader and make sure he suffers the worst!"

"Though that sounds smart now, it's actually really stupid," the man said. She glanced at him, surprised. "Just think, if you try that, you might get shot and die yourself."

"I don't care," she snapped.

"You should, because I'm sure Vann and Eamon will care if you die. And if you don't, you have to live the rest of your life with the guilt of what you did. The taking of another person's life shouldn't be decided by you, or me, or anyone. Despite the fact that they hurt you and your friends, you shouldn't kill them. You don't have to forgive them, just let them live."

"That's weak," she said, but she felt drained of energy, and couldn't argue him fiercely enough. "They should be punished."

"Is that for you to decide, though?" he asked. She frowned, thinking. Technically, it wasn't. _But they hurt Vann, and...and Eamon! They can't be allowed to kill again!_ But she didn't state that. She was too weary.

Instead she said, tired now, "What's your name, Mister Love and Peace?"

"My name's Vash," he said. She blinked heavy eyelids at him, and that name rang a bell dimly in her mind, but she yawned...and collapsed with exhaustion.

---.:.begin.:.---

Wolfwood had been listening the whole time to this conversation, just inside the doorway to the kitchen. He stepped out as the boy collapsed with weariness, and said sarcastically, "Mister Love and Peace, huh?"

Vash looked sadly up at him. "I tried to change his mind, but I don't know if it worked or not."

The priest shrugged, coming in with a sandwich, which he placed on the table in front of the sleeping child. Vash stood up, and put the boy full-length on the couch to sleep, then stepped back and went into the bedroom where the girls were cleaning and dressing the two men's wounds.

"That's Vann, and that's Eamon," he said quietly, pointing them out. Meryl glanced at him, frowning at his sad face, then getting back to work.

"This one, Eamon, he's bleeding fast," she said, sitting him up and wrapping a bandage around his chest. "Nothing punctured, thank God, but the bleeding's bad."

Vash sat down in the chair next to the beds, with a sigh. How could he get through to the kid? He saw so much anger and hate in the boy, and also grief. It was luck that had them walking down the street, him after donuts, and then hearing gunshots and rushing to find the two downed men and the boy shotless and with a pistol aimed at his head.

Wolfwood sat down in a chair in the main room with the couch, watching the sleeping boy, Alex. The boy looked completely zonked out, one hand trailing over the edge of the couch. The priest glanced at the hand, seeing a long scar that looked like it had come from a knife_--_and he saw the bloodstain from an apparent gunshot wound. The most curious thing about the child was his feminine grace and emotion. He may sound like a young boy and act like a boy, but he seemed more girlish. A ton of female relatives, perhaps? _How could someone join a gang this young? _he thought. His suspicion about the boy being in a gang had been proven with the gunfight they had walked in on. He felt sorry for the kid, tainted at such an age. _He'll probably be dead before he reaches his twenties._

The boy gave a jerk in his sleep, and lay still.

---.:.end.:.---

**It was funny, when I was writing one part of this I put down Alex calling Vash "Mister Love and Peace". I knew that's what he stood for, but I didn't remember he had been called that before. Freaky, huh?**

**I had this book report I had to do in reading, and guess what I picked? Vol. #1 of "Trigun Maximum". Hey, I thought it was pretty lucky when I forgot my actual reading book in my locker and only had the manga with me, and 'cause of that my teacher said I could use it.**

**I almost forgot my quote-of-the-chapter((gasp!)):  
"An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold on to a single blade of grass and not fall off the face of the Earth!"  
((my siggy on a message board! - ))**

**-Wolf**


	7. Dreams and Secrets

**Here's the next chapter. **

**I need your help, though. I'm not sure where this story is gonna go, so I wanna ask my readers, all two of you, what should I do? That's why this chapter is really short, 'cause I cut it off quickly. Anyways, read. Please.**

_"I enjoy your music," the blond-haired, pale-skinned man said, clapping slowly and timely, almost mockingly. She lowered her fiddle and glanced between him and the blue-haired amber-eyed one, unsure. "You play quite well. Don't you think?" he asked the other._

_"Certainly, Master," he said in an even, emotionless tone, the smile he grew just as emotionless._

_"Who are you?" she asked, curious and slightly anxious._

_"My name is Knives," the blond one said. "And he's Legato. Would you like to come with us, to play for us?"_

Alex woke with a start, gasping and immediately grabbing her pistol. She glanced around, wondering where she was, when her eyes fell upon the sandwich before her. Her stomach rumbled with painful hunger, and she grabbed the sandwich and wolfed it down ravenously, leaving hardly a crumb behind. When someone started laughing she whipped around, and saw the priest sitting in the chair, watching her with amusement.

"Hungry, I see," he said. "I can get you another, if you want."

"Where's Eamon and Vann?" she asked, remembering suddenly. She stood up, and glanced towards the doorway, then darted forward. Her friends lay serenely in the beds. Both the girls were gone, but the red-coated man was asleep in the chair nearby. As she looked at him, his eyes opened, and he looked at her, then stood.

"Alex," he said. She nodded, then searched her memory for his name. _Vash, Vash, that's it! _Then she paused. Vash. The name struck a bell again, and then suddenly it came to her.

"Vash the Stampede, the Humanoid Typhoon," she said, awe in her voice. He frowned, with a puzzled smile.

"What? Yeah, that's me," he said, and headed to the doorway, passing her and entering the main room. She followed, her mind numb with astonishment.

"Holy shit, Vash, you're like...like..." she tried searching for a word, and finished, "you're my hero, my god!"

He raised his eyebrows. "You're hero and god? I really think that's too much_--_"

"I've wanted to be just like you since I was little," she said, grinning. "I heard th'stories, 'bout July an' the sandsteamer and New Oregon and everything about you!"

"Well, looks like you have a fan," the priest said. Alex glanced at him and said, "You're the Priest in Black, the cross-toting companion of the Stampede."

"I prefer Wolfwood," he said.

"Wow," she breathed, stretching her arms, then winced and gave a strangled cry. She had forgotten about the gunshot wound from last night in her shoulder, and she found the little graze on her waist, both wounds having stained her shirt and coat. "Oh, God," she whispered, touching the graze delicately again. Vash and Wolfwood had come over, and were looking at each wound.

"Why didn't you get this taken care of last night?" Wolfwood asked.

"Vann and Eamon came first," she said, biting her lip against the pain as she slowly slid off her jacket and touched the bullet hole in her shoulder.

"Meryl! Milly!" Wolfwood called. From the other side of the house the two girls came running, and the smaller one said, "What? What's going on?"

"Look," Wolfwood said, motioning to Alex's wounds. "The boy didn't tell you about them, did he?"

"He demanded that the others get seen first," the big girl said.

Alex started to get nervous. If the girls were going to take care of her wounds, she had to take her shirt off, which meant she had to show her breasts. Then they'd know she wasn't a boy.

"I'm fine, really," she said. "Let me go take care of it myself, I'll be fine."

"Oh, no you don't!" the big girl said, grabbing her up and carrying her into the other room struggling, while the small girl told Vash and Wolfwood to go make something to eat.

"Please, I'm fine," Alex said, struggling to keep her from taking her shirt off. "I'll take care of it myself, I promise!"

"Just take it off, it's not like you've got anything to hide," the smaller girl said. Alex sighed, tears coming to her eyes, as the bigger girl slid her shirt off. They were silent for a moment, and then Alex crossed her arms over her bound chest and turned away, tears coming now.

"You're a_--_a girl," the big girl said. The small girl went and quickly shut the door, then glanced at Vann and Eamon. "Oh, they're out cold, they won't see anything."

"So, how long have you kept this secret? By the way, I'm Meryl Strife," the smaller girl said. "She's Milly Thompson."

"For years. In my hometown of Warren, I had two friends, Chris an' Kara, an' when I first decided I wanted to be an outlaw, Kara suggested I dress like a boy. Nobody else has known until now." Alex bit her lip as Milly and Meryl each took care of a wound, the graze and the bullethole.

"You've been shot before," Milly said, touching the bullethole on her arm.

"Yeah, that was from a bounty hunter," Alex said. "Mitch Deathseeker. I ended up shooting him."

Neither of the girls replied after she said that, then Meryl said, "How old are you?"

"Thirteen," Alex answered. "I left Warren and joined the Red Hill Coyotes when I was twelve."

A sad look suddenly grew on Milly's face, and Alex didn't understand. Why were they looking at her with pity? She didn't want pity! All she wanted was her friends to be fine, her secret safe, and her name shouted with infamy. Was that too much to ask?

**So, you like? Well, please tell me where you think I should take this. I'm at that steep decline in my writing career ((hears coughs and snickers from audience and waves stick threateningly)) and so I need help for you to get me past my writer's block? Got ideas? Review, please!**

**((Hey, I just realized that was one of the cleanest a/n's I've ever written, as well as one of the shortest...hmm...I'll have to do something big next time...definitely a shout-out to my fans...))**

**((Hears mixed amounts of gagging and laughter from audience))**

**-Wolf**


	8. My crappy excuse

**Okay, folks, I'm sorry I haven't updated in a LOOOOOONG long time, but I have the attention span of a two-year-old, and have had many other things going on in my life, and the voices in my head are at war, and I've been playing my rock music over-and-over-and-over again so that my brain is in chaos... So, don't lynch me, I swear a new chapter will be coming up soon!**

**And to get more people to come, I will now give out brownies! ((hands out brownies inconspicuously))**

**Be patient, and something will come out!**

**-Wolf**


	9. Decisions

**Whaddawhaddawhoo! Finally updated! Thanks, mangaqueen13, for remaining a regular to my story, and giving me ideas! ((hands a plate of brownies)) if you want, you can borrow one of my collection of Trigun males! ((wink-wink-nudge))**

**Here it is, at looonng laast! I know you've been waiting for this! So read it and enjoy!  
((Disclaimer: Knives is still my god, Legato is still my loverboy!))  
+**

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" she asked. "Especially Vash and Wolfwood. People will learn eventually, but I wanna delay it the best I can."

The two women exchanged a look, then Meryl said, "Let us talk about it," dragging Milly outside the door.

**.start.-**

"We should tell, she's been lying for so long," Meryl said quietly.

"But shouldn't we let her take responsibility and inform her friends? It'll be worse if we just let it slip and her friends learn that way," Milly replied. "Let's leave it up to her."

"Okay, fine," Meryl said resignedly. Milly was right; and although she felt sympathy for the girl, hiding out as a boy for so long, and she wanted to let the men know, she understood Milly's reasoning.

**.end.-**

"We won't tell," Milly said, "as long as you tell them later."

"I will, I promise," Alex answered, making sure to emphasize the sincereness in her voice. She really didn't want to have to tell Eamon and Vann and the others, already picturing the shocked looks on their faces, then their anger that she had lied to them, then them casting her out of the gang. Where would she go? Back to Warren? No, that was a joke. Well, she could just branch out on her own career now, as an outlaw. But at that thought, a strange feeling in her heart arose, an ache of some sort, and she found herself staring down at Eamon's unconscious face. What was that feeling? She thought of this man as extremely handsome, and she had had a crush on him for a while, but now he was more like a brother to her. She didn't truly _care _for him, the way two lovers cared for another. But why did she feel that way for him?  
+

Vann shifted in the bed, and then slowly opened his eyes, taking a moment to put his unfocused eyes back into use from sleep. He smiled, and raised his hands to rub at his eyes, wincing at the pull on his shoulder. "Damn, I feel like I got the shit kicked outta me."

"Not just kicked, but shot," Alex said, appearing before his confused eyes. Vann grinned.

"'Ello, m'lad," he said, then forced himself into a sitting position. When his eyes crossed to Eamon, a string of curses poured from his mouth, and he was immediately next to his bed, checking him over.

"He's a'right," she said, drawing him back. "He was shot in the chest, but it missed his lungs and heart."

"Y'know, boy, what we gotta go do now," Vann said. He turned his face from Eamon back to Alex. "We gotta go kill off the Snakes."

"I know," she replied coolly. "When you and Eamon have recovered, we'll go round up the gang and flatten the Snakes."

Vann nodded and yawned, then his stomach growled loudly. "Uh, is there anythin' to eat?"

Alex grinned. "I think so." She went out the door, and Vann followed, slightly unsteady. Vash and Meryl were in some argument, from what Alex could hear over some stupid thing Vash had done. She could never have guessed how dorkish her idol was, though he was even more heroic to her for it. Milly, who was talking to Wolfwood over something, saw Vann and smiled, coming over to him.

"Hello," she said, a huge kind smile on her face. "I'm Milly Thompson. That's Meryl Strife."

"And them" Vann began, nodding towards Vash and Wolfwood, but his stomach growled loudly again, and with another big smile Milly bustled into the kitchen, soon bringing out two platefuls of food. Vann devoured it all in only a few minutes.

Afterwards, while the others bustled about around the house, Vann sat on the couch, staring at the ceiling, his hands clasped over his head. Alex had never seen him look so thoughtful, so she waited until he said something. Finally he looked at her and said, "We're gonna have to strike the Snakes soon."

"I know," she said quietly. "We'll get Lucius and the gang together after Eamon gets better. Then"

"No, lad, we gotta strike _now_," he said. They stared at each other for a long time, until she nodded slowly.

"I s'pose you got more experience in this than me," she said. "You make the plans."

He nodded. "Like y'said, we'll head over t' Red Ice, gather ev'ryone again. Then we'll spread 'em out in groups all over Blackwater territory, an' then we'll end 'em all."

"Y'think th' Sandstorms or anyone else could join in? Ev'ryone hates the Snakes 'cause they steal territory all the time."

"No," he said softly, shaking his head. "This is between us and them."

She nodded, then glanced up suddenly, looking around. Vash leaned against the wall, watching her in interest, though there was a touch of sadness to his features. Vann didn't notice; he was busy in his thoughts. She did, and she stared at him back. Her conversation with him a while back came to her, and she remembered the "Mister Love and Peace" side of him.

"Will you stop us?" she said quietly. Vash blinked, and sighed slightly, but appeared unable to give her a straight answer. Her mind debated with her for a long time, looking over all the things Vash had said, and her own loyalties and vengeances. Finally, she decided. She had to fight for Eamon, for Vann; the Snakes had to be punished. She would personally put the bullet between the eyes of the Snakes' leader.

She heard a groan, faint but still there. Immediately she was in the bedroom, next to Eamon's bed. He had finally awoken, and was struggling to sit up. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gently but firmly held him down. His green eyes, just as brilliant as the first day she had seen them, were filled with grogginess and confusion.

"Where am I? Alex, lad, is tha' you?"

"Yeah, mate," she said, giving him a big grin. "Y'got yourself shot up pretty bad. Right in th' chest. The gangs'll be talkin' 'bout you forever."

He smiled pleasantly, then his eyes closed. A panic jolted through her, and she checked his pulse quickly to make sure his heart was still beating. He was okay, and she breathed a sigh of relief, then left the room to let him sleep.

When she came out, Vann was tugging on his coat.

"Where y'goin'?" she asked, alarmed.

"I'm gonna go round up the gang," he replied gruffly. "Right away, 'member?" He headed for the door and yanked it open. Before going out, he paused, then turned and looked at her. "Comin', lad?"

Alex hesitated, the first time in her life she did concerning her gang. She turned, and immediately caught sight of Vash again. Wolfwood stood next to him, smoking his cigarette casually. Both watched them, the priest emotionless and the Stampede with an expression of sadness. But her mind decided in that instant. She grabbed her coat, and turned to Vann.

"Let's go."  
+

**I'll try to update quicker, now that I know that there is more than just two of you reading this!  
By the way, I'm thinking about developing a new Trigun religion based on the teachings of Knives. As you might have guessed,Knives would be the god, and Legato his "archangel", I guess, and we'll all worship him and study histeachings and understand why we are beneath his Holiest Master Knives! How many are willing to join?  
((greeted by the sound of silence)) **

Cheers, me mateys!  
-Wolf


	10. Hunting

**Next chaptah up for ya! I gotta go quick, so read!**

**And I know the part about Vann's sister is like "Dancing Revolver", with that girl who got killed and all that, but I don't care! Wooh! So there! Anyways, like I said, read please, and review as well!  
+**

They reached the Red Ice as quickly as possible, alert the whole way for enemy gangsters. Even for his injuries, Vann was as fast as ever, and never made the slightest complaint or impained noise the entire way. When they entered through the doors of the saloon, they were greeted by the sound of silence.

Then an utterly relieved voice, that Alex recognized as Gryff's, yelled, "It's Vann and Alex!"

The sound of guns being uncocked came next, then as her eyes adjusted to the lighting she realized they had been expecting an attact. Looking at Vann, she saw he had learned the same thing; a slightly worried expression was in his eyes. The Coyotes surrounded them as they headed for the bar, all of them silent, waiting for one of them to ask a question first.

"Where's Eamon?" Kett said at last, breaking the silence.

"In a safe place," Vann replied. He took a seat at the bar, then his face recognized surprise. Alex followed his gaze, and saw behind the bar, Leah. "Where's Renn?" he asked tensely.

The girl was silent for a moment, then she burst into tears. "Tthey ttook her, the SSnakes!" it was hard to understand her words through her stammering sobs. Alex felt her stomach drop; looking at Vann, she saw his shattered expression.

"How did that happen?" he asked, his voice slightly catching.

"We were all out on patrols, save for Kale 'n' Zad," Thom explained quietly. "They came charging in here, and shot both of 'em, then dragged off Renn when she tried to fight. Nearly got Leah, too, but one of the Snakes watchin' out the door announced Lucius was coming, so they left in a hurry."

Leah made a choking sound, and her sobs grew louder. Alex reacted to instinct, and rising, she slid over the bar and hugged Leah comfortingly. The girl gripped her tightly, sobbing into her shoulder, while Alex stroked her head and shushed her gently. She looked at the others and realized they were watching her closely, and she realized in irritation they thought she liked Leah. But Vann wasted no time.

"Where is Lucius?" he asked sharply.

"Here," the man replied, and the group parted for him to come up to Vann. "Kale an' Zad are downstairs. Kale was shot in the shoulder an' the knee, an' Zad in the stomach an' thigh. Ev'ryone else's here, 'cept for Eamon."

"A'right, this is what we do," Vann said. "Lucius, take Gryff, Soren, Kett, Thom, and Trent, and sweep through the western Snakes territory. Alex and me will take ev'ryone else through the eastern side. Kill ev'ry single Snake you see, without hesitatin'. Leave none alive. If you find the leader, though, bring 'im back to the saloon, an' detain 'im in some way. Play with 'im as much as you like."

Alex looked at Vann sharply at the last bit, and his blue eyes met hers evenly. She shivered at what she saw in them; all he held was a cold hatred. Then she remembered that him and Eamon were bloodbrothers, and Renn was his love. As well as that, his gang, his family, had been put in danger, with members being shot. He had a right for vengeance.

Lucius and his group had loaded up on guns and ammunition and other weapons, and now headed out the door. Just before leaving, Lucius saluted Vann with a .12-gauge rifle, and said, "We'll get 'em all, man." Vann nodded, and he vanished out the door.

"Let's get goin', lad," Vann said. Alex nodded, and gently, but firmly, disentangled herself from Leah's tight grip.

They grabbed up the remaining weapons and hurried out. All of them had to sprint to keep up with Vann, who was running towards the Snakes' eastern territory at a full-out charge. As soon as they crossed the border into the enemy quarter, they were greeted by gunfire; the Snakes were waiting. Vann had always been a daredevil, but now that he was being driven on pure hatred and rage, he was untouchable.

Snake after Snake fell to their bullets. Alex didn't remember how many she had shot; she just fired at those shooting at her. Dimly she could feel little grazes touching her figure, but if there were any other injuries, her fierce adrenaline rush was wiping out the pain. They drove on through the Snake land, slaughtering like demons. At one point Alex saw a Coyote fall, an older man named Tarik, but Vann never halted, never looked back.

Through his rage they stumbled upon the Snakes' main nest. The real bloodshed started here, as well as Alex's rising guilt and hesitation. At one point she struck down a Snake in the chest. As she approached him to finish him off, his pleas filled her ears.

"No-please-no-please-no-don't-kill-me-I-beg-you-please-no-nooo!"

She raised her pistol and aimed it between his eyes. But his cries were distracting her, and her breathing became shaky. Shooting someone had never been so hard before...but then a nearby gun fired, and the man's head split like a watermelon. She flinched and looked at who had fired, and found Vann next to her. His gun was still aimed at the man, and he fired again, and again, and again, until the man's body was torn to pieces, and lay in a thick pool of blood.

Alex backed away cautiously, watching Vann. No emotion crossed his face as he fired; his finger seemed to be working on automatic. As the gunfire stopped elsewhere, the room was pitched into silence, and everyone watched Vann. Finally, his gun ran out of bullets, and he stepped back. His face was as smooth as stone, but his blue eyes glowed like jewels, filled with his hatred.

"Vann!" That was Lucius. With his group close behind, he reached theirs. Standing next to Vann, he looked silently at the pieces of flesh, blood, and bone laying before him, then he looked at Alex. She held his gaze, before lowering it back to the body. "Vann, we found the Snakes' leader."

"Where is he?" Vann asked coldly, and put a new clip in his gun. Moving faster than anyone had ever seen him move, Left-Shot Lucius knocked the gun away from Vann, and gripped him tightly by the shoulder.

"There is no time for this!" he growled in a low voice. "Yes, they've killed countless Coyotes, an' they shot Eamon, an' you, an' Alex here, an' they took Renn, an' your sister, but now we got other things to take care of!"

Vann looked at Lucius, silent and immobile. Then his face crumpled, and he turned away quickly, covering his eyes.

Alex found herself standing next to Gryff. "What happened to his sister?" she asked in a whisper.

Gryff never took his eyes off Vann as he spoke. "Snakes and Coyotes have a long, long history with each other, even before Vann, or Eamon for that matter, joined the group. They've been killing us for years, and we've been killing them in return. Shortly after Vann joined, he crossed the old leader of the Snakes, and nearly killed him in a fight.

"That cowardly bastard decided to take it out on Vann's sister Allie, who was a barmaid in a saloon on the other side of town. One night, the Snakes snatched her while she's heading home, and take her to their base. Not only did they rape her God knows how many times, they tortured her slowly, for hours on end, before finally killing her. When Vann found out, he went berserk, and went after them, but they expected it, and ambushed him, and left him for dead. That's what started all this, and caused Vann to flip so fiercely after you guys got shot, and Renn taken."

"I never" she stopped, not knowing what to say. Gryff nodded understandingly, and they remained silent, watching Vann and Lucius. The latter had taken over control of the gang for the moment, and was issuing commands.

"Soren, Kett, take a few men an' search the nest, see if Renn's here. Alex, Gryff, an' the rest of you, take the Snake asshole back to Red Ice."

Everyone immediately obeyed. Alex saw the Snake leadera man just a little younger than Eamon, with dark tanned skin, short-cut curly black hair, and shifty black eyes. They had his arms bound painfully behind his back, though Alex felt no pity for his pain, and she made sure he knew it. Gripping the binds, she yanked on it, causing him to give a yelp, then she shoved him forward, out the door. As they headed along, back to Red Ice, she kicked him to keep him moving, her own rage just barely in control.

When they reached the Red Ice, the leader was dragged to a corner of the saloon and tied to a post. As the others circled around him, Alex suggested to a terrified Leah to go downstairs. The girl obeyed, and Alex was tempted to go down as well; she really didn't want to see what they would do to this man, but she had to see it, it was her duty as a Red Hill Coyote.

Sitting at the bar, she tried to ignore the sound of the man's screams and pleading, while she waited for Lucius and Vann to return. A thought struck her suddenly: perhaps Vash, Mister Love and Peace, had been right.


	11. Retrieving Eamon

**I'm sorry, I'm soooo soooorrry for taking sooooo long to update! My attention span once again died on me, and then my lazy procrastinating ass held it off even longer! And, not only that, but I've developed an alarming obsession with Fruits Basket, that may soon conquer my Trigun! Somebody bring in Wolfwood so he can save my body from the hazards of Furuba!  
****  
But, finally, my loves, I have returned! And thanks to a certain reviewer ((you know who you are!)) my quote-of-the-chapter is returning! As a note, this chapter is especially long, to make up for my absence. Another thing, I apologize if the beginning is like the last chapter, I was gone for so long I can't remember where I finished last, and my damn computer won't let me see chapter 10! ((sobs))**

**Anyways, read and enjoy! Your mistress has returned with an all-new installation!  
+**

The Stampede had surprised her; she had never expected him to act that way. She had expected him to be more like a mix of Lucius, Eamon, and Vann: rough and rugged, dangerous, quick and fierce-tempered, and devilishly handsome. Well, the last part had been true, but dangerous? Rugged? _Fierce-tempered? _It was laughable! But she had seen his face, after he saved her and the others when they were jumped by the Snakes. He could have the face of a killer, as well.

The doors swung open, and Vann entered, Lucius close behind. They both carried hard, emotionless expressions that could tell her nothing, but she also saw that Lucius was somewhat directing Vann, and he was moving him away from where the Snake leader was tied. He was sending him downstairs, away from were he could snap and mangle this man, like he had the other. She watched them, as she knew the others were doing as well, until Lucius stopped at the top of the stairs, watching Vann go down. Then he turned back.

"Alex!" he called curtly. She nodded and stood.

"Yeah?"

"Where's Eamon bein' kept?" he asked. "I want our whole gang back, in case we missed some Snakes, and they try a comeback."

"But, Lucius, most of 'em are gone," Kett said. "Even if they tried a counter-attack, there ain't enough of 'em."

"They may have others backin' their asses," Lucius said darkly. That silenced Kett. The older outlaw looked at Alex. "So?"

"Yeah, I know where he is," she said. "I can lead you there_--_"

"You go," he replied, cutting her off sharply. "Take Gryff an' Soren with you. Be back as soon as possible, an' go as fast as you can, even if it means carryin' him."

Alex and the two named men nodded, then headed swiftly for the door. As soon as they were outside, Soren breathed a sigh. "I really didn't want to be in there when they tortured that man," he said quietly. They started down the street at a swift trot, letting her lead.

"Me neither," Gryff agreed hesitantly. He had been in the gang the longest out of the three of them, and therefore was expected to be the toughest, but his confession wasn't that surprising. Alex had suspected that not even Lucius felt like torturing the enemy leader, but she had no proof on that. They all fell silent as they used the shadows for cover.

This district of April City was used to gang battles; it had to be, because this was where all the territories sat. The wealthier, safer, and definitely smaller district was nearly half a mile away from this side of the city, and the two sides were divided by a Plant. Alex hadn't known that when she first arrived, thinking it to be all one city, that probably directed its energy from nearby Plants. But the tours given to her by other Coyotes, and information told to her as they played cards, taught her differently.

She had been told that at one time there were two sheriffs, one in either district. But the one in their side was killed as he tried to get between a gang skirmish, and the long history of lawlessness continued. Now no one even tried, and people who arrived in this side of the city were generally told about all this, and warned that they should go to the other side. The more she thought about it, she figured that when Vash, Wolfwood, Meryl, and Milly had arrived, they had probably come when another skirmish was going on, and when all the poor citizens of this side were hiding, as they were used to doing at least eight or nine times a day.

Alex came back from her thoughts to take measure of where they were, and found they were on the same street where "Vash and Company" had a rented house. In fact, they were standing not one house away from it. She picked up speed and was soon on the porch. She started to knock, but before her fist could connect with the door, it was dragged open, and Wolfwood, the priest, stood there, a cigarette between his lips. He looked at her, then at Soren and Gryff behind her, then nodded inside, and waved them in. She went in without wait, but the other two hesitated slightly.

"Are you just going to stand there all day?" Wolfwood asked them. Alex glanced back, then turned and headed back for the door.

"C'mon, guys, we gotta get Eamon." She looked at Wolfwood, and he looked at her. There was a moment of silence, before Gryff and Soren's boots thudding against the floor tore her attention away. She motioned to the two, and headed for the room Eamon was kept in.  
+

"You know what's going to happen." Wolfwood took a long drag on his cigarette, held it for a moment, then blew it out in a large smoky cloud.

Vash glanced up at him. He sat with his head propped on his hands, elbows on his knees, and appeared to be thinking. "Yeah, I do," he replied quietly. "A lot of people are going to die."

"It's vengeance," Wolfwood said, with a slight air of bitter sarcasm sounding in his voice. "For them, it's, 'You try and kill my friend, I slaughter you.' That's the way it's always been for gangsters."

"I tried to stop him," Vash said softly, putting his face back in his hands. "I tried to tell Alex not to go do it. But he didn't seem to listen."

"By now, the entire enemy gang is probably gone by now," the priest said seriously. "That's probably what all that gunfire was about, a while back. They'll be coming to get their friend now, I bet." He paused, watching Vash carefully, while taking another drag on his cigarette. "You know, it's their way of life. You can't stop them from doing what they think is right."

"But it's wrong!" Vash said loudly, looking up again. "They're killing so many! So many lives are being taken! What about those who took no part in it? Why must they be punished as well?"

"Just the way it is," Wolfwood answered, his own voice quiet now. "Nothing you can do about it." He paused, then went to the window, taking out his cigarette and looking out into the night. He drew back, glancing at Vash. "They're coming now." He went to the door, popped his cigarette back into his mouth, before he yanked open the door. A briefly surprised Alex stood in the doorway, breathing quickly. Two others stood behind him, one looking tense and cautious, the other alert as he watched Alex, as if seeing what he would do first.

Wolfwood looked at the boy for a long time; he could see splatters of blood over him from head to toe, dry now, but no apparent wounds. Enemy blood. The others appeared the same. He sighed, then motioned for him to come inside. Immediately the boy swept past him, his arm brushing his with a whisper of cloth. The other two remained still on the steps, glancing at each other uncertainly.

"Are you just going to stand out there all day?" he asked, taking in their looks. Then Alex returned, an exasperated look on his face as he called them in. Wolfwood looked at him, and Alex returned the look, and the priest stared into his eyes. Again a strange feeling passed over him, as he realized something was amiss with the boy. He could also see the distant regret waiting within the dark brown depths, outlined with the garish crimson paint of splattered blood. The boy had killed that day; Wolfwood knew the feeling all too well.

Then Alex broke the connection, urgency to see his friend driving him on. He moved past him, and this time the two others followed quickly, tension in their bodies as they passed the taller, older man. Wolfwood watched them hurry after Alex into the bedroom where Eamon slept, then he returned to the main room, to find Vash in the same position as when he had left.

"They're here," he said, stating the obvious. Vash glanced up at him again, then nodded dully.  
+

Alex stood in the doorway of the room for a moment, staring at the man sleeping in the bed. Her chest was tight as she looked him over. After a moment she couldn't take it anymore, and she scrambled to the bed, kneeling next to the side. He slept on his side, and had such a serene, peaceful expression on his face, she just wanted to stare at him forever.

Then his eyes opened, slowly, and got wider, until the emeralds shone. "Alex?" he asked, then a brilliant smile broke his face. It wasn't the smile he used when flirting, or the smile he gave when in the middle of a fight, or even the smile he used when contradicting or being condescending to someone, but it was...strange. It was a smile given to her by Chris and Kara when they were really happy, and one she had gotten once from Vann when she had made him extremely proud of something she had done. Was that what a friend's smile looked like?

"Eamon!" she said, delighted and relieved. He sat up suddenly, and ran a hand through his messy, now unspiked dark brown hair.

"Gryff, Soren," he said to the two men who stood at the end of the bed. They were both smiling in relief as well. He looked around, and his eyes widened with an almost childish puzzlement. "Where am I, again?"

Alex was about to answer, but a brisk female voice took over. "In a safe place." Alex looked towards the door to see the short, raven-haired fierce Meryl standing there, one fist on her hip. Milly stood behind her, with a happy smile on her face.

"Oh, hey," Eamon said, looking towards the two women. "You were the two who took care of me an' Vann an' Alex? Thank you very much." He started to rise, before realizing he was half-naked, wearing only a pair of pants. He gave a sheepish smile to the women.

"Eamon, we've come to take you back," Alex said. "The Snakes've been wiped out, s'far as we can tell, an' we've captured the Snake leader. Vann went ballistic after what happened. Lucius wants you back, now."

A sudden anxious, urgent expression crossed his face, and he said quietly, "Oh, God, Vann, not again!" as he sought out his shirt. Gryff found his clothes in a neat pile on a desk and handed them to him. As Meryl and Milly left the room he dressed hurriedly, being filled in the whole time by the three of them. After that he hurried to the main room, looking still worried and urgent.

Vash was standing near one of the windows, while Wolfwood leaned against the wall. The women stood in the doorway of a different room.

"I thank you very, very, very much," Eamon said quickly, as he found his boots and started tugging them and tying up the laces. Alex wondered why he was acting so hasty. When he had gotten both boots on, he looked closely at Vash for a minute. He appeared about to say something, but he seemed to change his mind, and said instead, "For your hospitality, is there anythin' I can do to repay you?"

"Don't worry about it," Vash said. "We're just doing it for the knowledge we helped out." He smiled cheerfully. Alex looked at him sharply, catching the look of the smile. He was faking it, she could tell quite clearly; her eyes slid over to Wolfwood, who was watching them silently, his face showing no emotion.

Eamon turned and said to Alex, as he moved towards the door, "So, what has Vann done?"

"He freaked and went on a killing spree," Alex replied, following him. Suddenly, Eamon stopped, clutching at his chest and wincing in pain. "Eamon?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm_--_fine," he said. He looked up, and they followed his gaze. Meryl and Milly had started towards them upon seeing Eamon in pain. He gave them a brilliant smile. "Don't worry, ladies. This is nothin' for me, all in a day's work."

An angry, exasperated look crossed Meryl's face. "Idiots, all of you!" she snapped, causing them to freeze. "You know, Eamon, you're too weak to leave yet. You're injuries have barely healed at all, and already you're trying to throw yourself back into action!"

"I'm sorry, lady," he said. His voice had gained a serious tone, changing him from his usual joking self to all business. "I need to get back to my friends before worse happens."

"More than what already has happened?" Vash said quietly. Alex glanced at him, while the others reached the door and started leaving. He looked at her, and there was a hardness to his eyes, startling her slightly.

She paused, hesitated, then said quietly, "Look, Vash. I'm not repentin' what I did. I will feel regret soon, but it was for my gang_--_my family. No matter how wrong it was, what's gotta be done just gotta been done." With that, she bolted out the door after the others, who were already jogging up the street.

When they reached the Red Ice, Eamon was immediately surrounded, and everyone began asking him what happened, until Lucius broke them apart.

"Eamon," he said quietly. "Don't you ever worry us like that again. This time we thought you were gonna die for sure."

Eamon's face was hard and serious, but a daredevilish light flickered suddenly in his eyes, before they hardened as well. "Don't you worry, mate," he said lightly. "I've got Lady Luck on my side, and though she can be a bit moody at times, she'll always bear me through." He paused, looked around, then asked evenly, all joking gone now, "Did any Coyotes die?"

"Kale 'n' Zad were shot before it all happened, while ev'ryone's out on patrol. Renn was taken, but we found her again. She's down with Leah an' Vann. Other than that, we just had a few injuries on the hunt. As they've prob'ly told you, we got the Snakes leader hostage. They were playin' with him a bit." He made a motion to the far-back post where the bloody, broken body of the leader dangled. Alex caught herself from flinching; they had _played _with him brutally.

"A'right, then," Eamon said, taking control. "All injured will be taken downstairs, where Renn, Leah, an' their mates can heal 'em. I want two guards to watch th' Snake at all times, an' they can trade off if needed. Vann will stay downstairs as well, until he's relaxed enough. Lucius, Gryff, Alex, an' Thom, we'll discuss...plans."

Everything was taken care of after that. All the injured Coyotes were fixed up, Vann stayed downstairs without complaint, the guards stayed in place, and Eamon and his selectees made plans. The Snake leader was tortured enough to be near death; tomorrow they would take him into the desert, blindfolded and with his hands bound, and release him out there. Eamon knew that that was the least they could do to him, compared to what Vann wanted to do.

And with that, the Red Hill Coyotes went to an uneasy sleep.  
+

**Chee, you like? I like...  
As promised! But I give you, not one, but TWO quotes-of-the-chapter!**

**"Don't drink and drive; you might spill your beer."  **

**"Giving power and money to a government is like giving liquor and car keys to teenage boys."  **

And the next chapter should come sooner.  
P.S. My shirt smells like pancakes!

:) Wolf


	12. Bonus Feat Names

**Hey, this little thing is just something to keep you all entertained while I continue writing my story! Oh, and Angel ((steals Legato back, and proceeds to re-chain him up in the basement)) but you can have Vash!**

**I'm not sure where this idea came from, but it came, so, oh well! Oh, and now I'm gonna do a bit of shameless advertising, and prod you towards my other fic: If you want some random humor, read "Trigun Randomness"!  
+**

**Character Names and Their Meanings:**

**My characters:**

**Alex (Alexandra):** "Man's defender"; "protector of mankind". Female form of Alexander.

**Eamon:** "Fortunate protector". Irish form of Edmund.

**Vann:** Relates to Vance, which goes to Lance, meaning "spear".

**Lucius: **"Shining out". Lucien is the derived form.

**Cassandra (you'll understand later!):** "Confuser of men"; "prophetess of doom". Woman in Greek mythology gifted and then cursed by Apollo.

**Trigun characters:**

**Meryl:** Relates to Muriel, meaning "sparkling like the sea".

**Milly:** Relates to Millicent, meaning "noble determination".

**Nicholas:** "The people's triumph"; "victory" (Nick, Nike). Patron saint of children, sailors, merchants, and pawnbrokers.

**Dominique:** "God's servant"; "God's day". Name of a Spanish saint who formed the Dominican Order.  
+

**I want it noted, another nickname for Nicholas is Nico, which sounds like Neko! Yay! Though I'm much more for a Legato/Kuroneko combo...don't ask. **

_Wolf_


	13. Emerald Eyed Realization

**Are my words bigger? They really look bigger! Huh! Well, I'm actually finished with my story now, but I'll upload it in pauses, okay? Anyways, read and enjoy! I will have a sequel, as well as a prequel, but you'll just have to wait to read! Hahahaa!  
+**

At least, _tried _to go to sleep.

After a frustrating hour tossing and turning, trying to get to sleep, she finally threw back the blanket, rising silently from the mattress and heading upstairs as quietly as possible. When she entered the dark saloon room, she let her eyes adjust, then made her way behind the bar, finding a tall, clear bottle of whiskey, and a glass. After pouring herself a drink, she put the bottle away, and sipped at the glass thoughtfully, standing barefoot and silent by the bar, staring at the ceiling.

A sudden striking sound made her turn swiftly, nearly dropping her glass.

"Relax, lad," a familiar voice said with a chuckle, and the little red flame of the match found a candle wick, making a dim glow light up Eamon's face.

"Oh, y'scared me," she said softly, taking a deep breath and then another sip of her whiskey. He came over and sat down in front of her, resting his arms comfortably on the bar. He was somewhat slumped in his chair, but the way he arched his neck up and looked into her face, his candle-lit green eyes dancing mystically, sent a shiver of excitement through her.

"Sorry," he said, then smiled wearily. "Y'can't sleep either, huh?" She shook her head, and he motioned silently to the bottle of whiskey. She grabbed it and a cup, and sat it down in front of him. "Thanks." He poured himself some, then took a small sip, his eyes staring at the candlelight.

"So, Alex, do you have any family?"

The question surprised her, but she answered quickly. "No. Well, kinda. I had two friends in Warren, but I'm an orphan."

"Oh, sorry," he replied. "Did you ever know your parents?"

"No," she answered, inwardly puzzled why he was asking. "All of my early memories involve only my two friends. Before that, all there is is a blank wall."

"Hmm," he said softly, then went silent. Alex took another sip of her whiskey, and found it empty, so she grabbed the bottle and poured a bit more. She offered it towards Eamon, and he took it and refilled his own drink, setting it down with a quiet _clink_.

Alex stared into her cup, then she looked up, and blinked at Eamon, who was staring at her with an unfamiliar expression.

"You remind me of my li'l sister Mona," he said, and she saw a strange, knowing little smile on his lips. "She's a very pretty girl, with long, rich red hair that looks like rubies an' feels like satin, an' sparkly, jewel-like emerald eyes. She's very bold an' stubborn. Though our parents never liked it, she used to dress up like a boy all the time, an' at night go masqueradin' through the city, causin' all sorts of chaos." He paused, and stared at her so examiningly she felt like cringing. "Yes, you remind me of 'er _very_ much."

Alex felt like she should say something, so she said hesitantly, "It would be nice to meet her."

There was another long silence, and she lowered her head, staring into the glass. Then she felt a large, rough, warm hand grasp her chin gently, and he raised her face so that she met his eyes. The look in them was unknown to her, but it sent a shudder of fear up her spine, and she started to pull away. Then his lips met hers, and his hand pulled her into a paralyzing kiss.

For an instant, her mind went utterly blank, and her entire body froze up, then went numb. Then, as quickly as it had started, he pulled back, and standing, he emptied his glass, then left, heading back downstairs.

She stood there, unable to move. Her thoughts came swarming back in a million pieces, striking her at once. She raised shaky fingers to her lips, which were still very warm, and she sniffed suddenly, catching that familiar scent she knew was Eamon's, that combination of dust and dirt, gunpowder, sweat, liquor, and blood, that made her heart speed up.

Then it hit her. He knew. He _knew_.

He knew she wasn't a boy. That's why he said that about his sister. That's why he _kissed _her. But how was that possible? In all the time she had been a Coyote, she hadn't been bare enough to reveal her true sex, save for when Meryl and Milly found out. She had never acted truly feminine, and had never flirted, not even with girls. _Maybe that's it, _she thought with a pang, taking a sharp breath. _Maybe he knows 'cause I never messed around with the girls!_

Whatever it was, her brain was becoming too fuddled to think about it. She finished the last bit of her whiskey, then she put the glass and bottle away, blew out the candle, and headed downstairs. Wandering through the dark, her eyes immediately travelled to where Eamon's bed resting, and she could make out a dark shape resting on it, but she hurried quickly to her own mattress, where she fell into a very restless sleep.  
+

**"Hard work pays off in the future, but laziness pays off now."**

:P Wolf


	14. Tragedy Shock

**My words look big again! I wonder why...I guess I'll just have to wait until the chappies are up so I can see if it looks this way! Anyways... ((starts sobbing)) even though I don't want to ruin it for you, something really sad happens in this chap/in the beginning of next. Awww...I didn't want to do it, but...I did! And my quote-of-the-chapter will have to wait until next chappie...I gotta go!  
+**

The sun shone excruciatingly hot down upon Alex's face, neck, and bare arms, as the gang waited for their leaders to come out of the saloon and carry out their plans. She felt a tight, choking feeling in her gut and throat, and she fidgeted with her nervous energy, her thoughts rushing through her head at a million iles an hour.

"Let's go," Lucius's cold, crisp voice commanded, and she turned as him, Vann, and Eamon came out, dragging the Snake leader between them in an off-set triangle. In silence they made their way to the edge of town, towards "the border", that divided the good side of the city from the bad.

It had been simple, with Eamon's careful guidance. They were to take the Snake, and hold a public execution at the border. It was a sign to all the other gangs, the citypeople, and the sheriffs, that they weren't to be messed with. Since Vann was not trusted to be able to give the Snake a clean, clear, and single shot, and Eamon, in Lucius's words, would have too much fun with it, Lucius was the one doing the honors.

As they walked without speaking towards the border, people appeared at windows and doors, and at the corners of streets, watching them with alert, cautious eyes. Alex shifted on her feet, and chewed on the inside of her cheek as she fiddled with the butt of her pistol. A hand suddenly grasped her fidgeting one, and she looked up in surprise at Eamon.

He gave her a bright smile, that didn't quite reach his dark, knowing eyes. "Don't worry, lad; this'll be over very quickly."

As if last night didn't happen at all. Alex gave him an uncertain smile back, then looked down at her dusty boots, shimmering in her sight with the sun-burnt sand. She again felt the agonizing head of the sun, and it made her stomach feel moldy and rotten. _Oh, God, I think I'm gonna be sick_, she thought to herself, but the expected bile never came, and so she continued on without a word.

There, up ahead; the border. Already people were gathered along on the other side of the chain fence; the notice must have gotten out quickly. She stopped with many of the other Coyotes, as they watched the three dynamic enigmas of the gang, Eamon, Vann, and Lucius, prepare the "service".  
+

He had gotten the idea. He had debated it. He had made up countless reasons why they should go, and why not. He had planned out every aspect, and then he had thrown it to hopelessness. By now, Vash the Stampede was tired of thinking about it.

"Where are you going?" Wolfwood called, rising as he headed for the door.

"To save the day," Vash said with sarcasm, and then he swept out the door, like the typhoon of his namesake.

"On your knees," Lucius said loudly in a cold, hard, and utterly emotionless voice. The Snake leader, shaking so badly he stumbled when he walked, slowly fell to his knees, whimpering pitifully. "For your crimes against the Red Hill Coyotes; for your pride and foolishness, and your cowardice. I, Lucius Left-Shot, will, as everyone present will bear witness for, hereby commit you to public execution."

"No, please! Please, please don't kill me! Oh, God, oh, God! Dooon't!" The Snake leader broke down into a pile of sobs and whimpers, his voice pleading. He turned and tugged Lucius's pantleg, sobbing and spluttering into it. "Please don't kill me, oh, God, please! God, help me! Somebody, somebody, please, stop him, stop them, oh, God, please, no!"

Lucius's face was rock-hard and just as blank, but his eyes shone with loathing and revulsion. "And you dare to call yourself a gang leader, no matter how weak!" he hissed, then said in a snarl, "You _will _die."

"Don't!" The cry came from a voice that was all-to-familiar to Alex. She whipped around, to see the familiar spiked blond hair, wide aqua eyes, and long wind-swept red coat. He stood there, panting heavily, arms out slightly from his sides. Behind him came Wolfwood, carrying his large white cross, followed by the two girls, Meryl and Milly. "Don't kill him!"

"This is none of your business, foreigner," Lucius said sharply, his terrifying glare upon the four new arrivals. But then Eamon stepped forward, palms outspread.

"Hold on a sec, Luce, these people helped me an' Al an' Vann," he said, motioning to Lucius to wait. Then he made his way towards Vash, dropping his hands. "Please, I must ask you not to interfere. Though my friend was being a bit harsh, it is true. This really is not your concern, an' it would be best if you headed back to your home."

Vash's look was _almost _murderous. "Don't you dare kill this man," he said in a low voice. "I will not allow it."

Eamon's try at diplomacy was forgotten, and he immediately got to business. "It doesn't matter if you won't allow it. This isn't your problem; _it would be best _if you stayed out of it. You might get hurt."

But the Stampede was unsurrendering. "I will go, as long as you don't kill this man. Let him go! Let him leave this city, and go off somewhere else! Why do you want to kill him? It isn't right!" By now, all the Coyotes had drawn close, including Lucius, and the Snake lay in a whimpering puddle, forgotten. "Please, don't shoot him, and I'll never bother you again. Let him _go_!"

"Vash," Alex said quietly. "It isn't our decision. This is what _has _to be done_-_"

"Why?" He asked, his eyes locked hard on her. "Why does it _have _to be done? You can very easily call the whole thing off, and let him go!" Then his eyes caught on Eamon's, solid and bold. "For your _humanity_."

Eamon stood in silence. Though they knew Lucius and Vann were also leaders, at the moment, this decision was all Eamon's. Finally, he lowered his head. And opened his mouth to speak. And started with one word, "fine", but then he was interrupted rudely by a gunshot.

Alex felt her heart stop when she heard it. On instinct everyone whipped out their weapons, but most of them were dropped as they all watched, helplessly, as Eamon collapsed to the ground, a shocked, astounded look on his face.


	15. Confrontations

**Waaaaah! I almost started to cry, because of what I did. Oh, I really didn't want to. But, in the long run, it had to be done. I'm sorry to my readers, but this hurt me as much as it might hurt you. Awww... ((sobs pitifully))**

**Oh, yes! In the sequel, which I'm still thinking of a name for, Alex's earlier life, as well as that of her mother, and her sparse few family members, is explained. If anyone caught my little hints with the "dreams" she had had, when she was drunk, or when she had fallen asleep at Vash and co.'s house, this will explain that. For now, though, I ain't telling nuthin'!**  
+

She couldn't even speak, and felt rooted to the spot, as her stomach dropped along with her jaw. But then her body reacted on instinct, and in seconds she had leapt upon the Snake leader and was clawing and punching him to pieces with her bare hands, her rage unbelievable, even to her. She dimly noted that she was making a low, primitive and animal-like growling noise deep in her throat. When he lay unmoving, but still alive, she finally caught ahold of herself, and rushed to Eamon's side, tears threatening to spill.

"Eamon," she whispered softly, sniffing. "Oh, God, Eamon!"

His eyelids fluttered, and he smiled painfully at her. "Just re-rem-remember, m-my lad. I f-found out a-at thei-their house, w-when I had b-been shot the f-first time," he said, pausing with gasps of pain. He coughed suddenly, and she put her hand to his mouth, then pulled it back, and found, to her horror, blood. But he continued on valiantly and determinedly. "T-they w-were t-talking. It w-was the f-fir-first time I had w-w-woken up. I s-saw you, an-and I heard th-them talk-ing, an-and they s-said y-you were a g-girl." The last word was hardly a whisper, obviously to be kept from the Coyotes that were crowding around.

"Eamon, shush, you'll tire yourself out," she said quietly.

"I-I fell i-in lo-love with y-you," he said suddenly, and smiled in a bittersweet way. "Y-you're beau-beautiful, you know th-that?" He coughed again, then continued. "I'm d-dying, Alex. T-though you d-deny it, you _know _I'm g-going to d-die."

She raised his upper body into her lap, cradling his head, then she whispered in his ear. "I fell in love with you, too, Eamon. I love you, my protector."

He gave a harsh chuckle, and said, "S-so you k-know that o-one, eh?" He fell silent, staring at the sky, the darkening emeralds searching for something in the depths above. Then finally he said, "Luck's a f-fickle lady. A-at one m-moment, she's y-your g-goddess. B-but then, j-just like that, s-she's gone. L-Lady Luck f-finally gave me up t-to Fate." He paused, then he gave another rough laugh, that made him spew more blood onto his chest. "What a bitch."

She knew when he died; she could feel the final shaky breath leaving his body, and feel the limp heaviness that overcame him after that. She stared into his eyes, which were now not like jewels, but were instead dull and blank.

Alex could feel the scream coming, ripping up from the depths of her soul, clawing up her throat, streaming into her mouth. But she didn't release it. Instead, she laid Eamon's body down comfortably on the sand, closing his eyes with trembling fingers, then she rose up. She turned, and without thought she made her way towards the Snake leader, who was cringing on the ground. In the corner of her eye, she saw Lucius and Vann drop down next to Eamon's body, the former staring blankly at him, the later sobbing without shame.

In one deft movement she pulled out her pistol, cocked the hammer back, and put it against the enemy's head. He blubbered and whined, but it was weak now, and he knew he was going to die.

"Alex!" She thought the cry would be unexpected, but inwardly, she knew it was coming. Vash came up behind her, and stood still there, staring between her and the Snake leader.

"He will die now," she said in a cryptic, empty voice.

"I know, it feels wrong of me to tell you not to kill him," the voice said in a quiet voice, but her sharp ears caught the pain hidden within it. "After he killed Eamon. But you _can't do it_. Please. If you do it, it just shows you are as low as him, which I know you're not."

"He is beneath scum. There is no way I would be as low as him," she said darkly. Then she added, in a sharper voice, "It wouldn't be a waste. Just like taking out the trash; spring cleaning."

She could hear the brief hardness in his voice as he spoke. "Then...then why kill him? He isn't worth it, Alex. Don't taint Eamon's death with this man's."

Something in her snapped at those words, and she turned on him, her rage rising up again. "What would you know of it, huh? Eamon was _my _friend! He was _mine_, not yours! You never even _knew _him! How dare you try to compare him with this man! That's what you're doing, you're lowering _him_!" Without thinking, she prodded him in the chest sharply with her pistol barrel, but he did nothing, he didn't even move, or blink. There was a moment when neither of them moved; but then his immobility disturbed her, for some reason, and she drew back.

"Fine, I won't kill him," she said softly, and uncocked her pistol, then, holstering it, she turned back to the Snake leader. "Go, coward," she said in a deathly gentle voice. "Run away, far from here. Never cross my sight again!" Then she turned her back on him, looking at the Coyotes. "Let's go back home," she commanded briskly. "Lucius and Vann, take...take Eamon. Go."

She barely threw another glance at Vash, as she walked after her retreating comrades. But then she heard him walking beside her, and she glanced at him. "Are you happy now?" she asked quietly.

"No," he said. "But I am relieved." They fell into silence again, and continued walking.

Then she heard it. That sound would always be imprinted on her memory now, until the day she died; the sound of a gun being cocked, the click of the hammer. And, as she turned, the gun fired.

All Alex felt was a whoosh of air, and a brief snag on her shirt. She felt fear, then a sudden rush of relief when she realized she hadn't been hit. She heard another gunshot, and then she saw the Snake leader fall, and she knew, immediately, that he was dead. She stared in surprise at Vash, and at his smoking gun. He had killed someone.

The Coyotes came running back, guns drawn. "It's alright now," she said, to try and calm them. But then she heard the pop of buttons, and, before she could think, her shirt tore open. The bullet had ripped her shirt, and now... she was revealed to all the Coyotes, as well as Vash and Wolfwood. She grabbed her shirt and yanked it back together over herself, blushing red, and feeling the tears well up. She didn't dare look at any of them, especially not Vash.

Meryl and Milly raced over, concern on their faces. "Don't worry, Alex, we'll get you out of this," Meryl whispered, then she took on a booming, commanding voice. "What are you all doing, just standing around? Get to work! Go, move it!" And, as if they had just been reprimanded by their mothers for being naughty, they all hurried off back to the saloon. Vash and Wolfwood, though, just stood there in silence.

"So, that's what it was," Wolfwood said quietly, and gave a little, awed chuckle. "I knew there was something different about you. Huh, I guess you just never know."

Her head snapped up in surprise. "So...you're not angry?"

"Angry?" Vash said quietly, then he smiled, a true, sincere smile. "Why would we be angry? Alex, this is more surprising than it is anything else, but it definitely isn't angering. Though you should go speak with the others, make sure they understand."

"Okay," she agreed quietly, then she simply tied the shirt to keep it closed, and hurried off with the others.

Alex explained everything to them, from her first ideas of becoming an outlaw, and Kara's remark on world sexism, to Meryl and Milly's discovery, and such. Everyone was surprised, shocked, and there were a few astonished ones; but, strangely enough, nobody was truly angry. After a while, a few even thought it was funny, and broke out laughing, until the exhaustion and tragedy of the day stopped them immediately.

They held a burial for Eamon. Wolfwood did a sermon for him, and then everyone said a few words. Though she remained strong through it, later, when she was on her own, she let herself sob her eyes out, pouring her soul out in her tears. Eamon, her first love and, above all else, best friend, was gone. Afterwards she gathered herself together, and then she wouldn't ever cry for him again.

But right before Vash and company left, she learned something very strange, something that would change her life once again.  
+

**Here you are, THREE quotes-of-the-chapter, to make up for what I did to my beloved Eamon...((starts sobbing again))**

**"If you don't like the way I drive, stay off the sidewalk!"**

**"Reality is an illusion created by lack of alcohol."**

**"Light travels faster than sound; that's why some people appear bright before they speak."**

**: _Wolf_**


	16. Farewell, Alex Daelin

**And here we are, at the end of it all. It seemed like so long ago when I first started this, this fic that was my first every fanfiction, let alone my first Trigun fic. Since then I have grown in my abilities as a storyteller, and now I present the conclusion of that development with pride.**

**Here's a shout out to my wonderful reviewers; without you, I would've ended this a looong time ago.**

**mangaqueen13, wosey, Flamestrike, Storm Dragoness, cinafran, Angel. Thanks sooo much! ((hands out brownies and milk))  
+**

On her fourteenth birthday, the gang gave her a special surprise. Since they had found out that she was an orphan, they decided to do a full background check for her, to see if they could find out if she had any family. The results were tumultous.

"Your full name is Alexandra Twilight Daelin," Vann said, then gave a little smile. "Such a poetic middle name. Anyways, there are apparently two people living currently, and within our check's range, with that same last name, Gabriel Robert Daelin, a sixty-two-year-old man who lives in the town of Lunaras, and a very hidden young man whose first and middle names are unknown, only his last name, Daelin, is known, age unknown, a wanderer with no apparent home location. This Daelin seems to be an outlaw of sorts, though not one who has really gained any attention, or even seems to be trying to get some, and Gabriel Daelin is a very wealthy retired sheriff."

"Woah," she breathed. "So I'm Alex Daelin, huh."

"Alex the Coyote," Gryff said, grinning.

"Eamon would've agreed with it," Vann said softly, smiling gently. There was a pause, and then they broke off into a separate conversation, where they decided that that was her new name. While they talked, she went into her own thoughts, and really _thought _about the idea that had been eating at her for a while. In that moment, she made her decision.  
+

Vash and his friends had only left a few days ago. She had thanked them many times, as they took off to catch the sandsteamer. Then she had cracked her decision over her gang's head.

"I'm leaving, too."

They had argued against it, pleading for her to stay, especially Vann. But she had made up her mind. She had started into this world with the dream of becoming a notorious outlaw, and that had been her intent all along. And, though she _did_ get distracted somewhat easily, this dream was something she would not lightly toss aside. But now she also had a goal to reach: to find and meet her family. So, as an outlaw, she would do this.

And as she climbed up the steps into the bus, heading to an empty seat and plopping down her bag, and gazing out the window, giving an energetic wave back at the gang, she couldn't help feeling a rush of excitement, at the prospects and adventures awaiting her.

She had finally been released unto Gunsmoke.

And there was no turning back for the outlaw, Alex the Coyote, now.  
+

**Me: Ahh...it's over. ((sniffle))  
Chibi Knives: What are you getting all worked up about?  
Me: Aren't you...sad? It's over!  
Chibi Knives: ((snort)) Good riddance.  
Me: ((evil glare)) That's it, Mister. I've suffered your bitter rudeness enough. Now you shall suffer! ((pulls out whip))  
Chibi Knives: Gaaaah! Help...meeeeee... ((is dragged away))**

**Anyways, I hope to see all my old readers in the sequel, and hopefully a bunch more! Farewell, my loves!  
You gave me joy, and now I _siiiiiiing_! **

"All good things must eventually come to an end."

_(Wolf)_


End file.
